Return From Oblivian
by eabhaciar
Summary: This was my first attempt at Fanfiction, be gentile.
1. Unexpected Allie

**Chapter 1**

**THE UNEXPECTED ALLIE**

The door to the cell quickly slid open to revile Wufei sitting by himself in a corner, Heero not far away against the wall and, sprawled in the middle of the room, was Duo, dreaming away.

The movement of the door gained Wufei and Heero's attention, as four rather large Oz soldiers walked in and stood to either side of the entryway. Following the procession of soldiers was a small-silhouetted figure.

"Which one?" Asked one of the soldiers.

"The one lying down," replied the figure.

Realizing that they were going to take Duo, who had been beaten up earlier, Heero quickly got up and walked toward the figure, the soldiers ignoring him.

"Where are you taking him?" he asked drowsily yet still forceful.

The figure remained quiet. Then Heero stepped closer to repeat his question but was stopped short by the deep sapphire eyes that bore right through him.

At a closer vantage point then before, he could make out not just the eyes but also the rest of the figures features.

The rounded face, a nose that reminded him of Duo's, small mouth, long black eye lashes that rimmed its eyes. And what looked like a deep red hair pulled back tightly in a small ponytail… PONYTAIL!

'It's a girl!'

The thought shot through his head. He looked again at her. She was dress in an all black uniform, the light behind her made it hard to make out specifics. Then a glint of light from her glasses caught his attention, and he got his answer.

"This is none of your concern zero 1," She replied sternly. And she turned her back to him and began to follow the soldiers, carrying Duo, out.

"You can't take him he's injured," protested Heero. Automatically he took another step forward.

The girl whipped around and caught him by the throat with her left hand and began to squeeze.

"I said it was none of your concern!" she nearly shouted.

They stood there, her hand locked around his throat, every once and a while pressing his Adam's apple, with eyes locked.

The controlled panic that shone through her eyes caused him to participate and not move any further. Unlike the rest of her face, the girl's eyes conveyed her true feelings and thoughts. And because of her eyes, he could tell that she wasn't really a soldier.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt him," she whispered the let go of his throat, turned and walked out. Closing the door behind her.

'That face, it's so familiar.' He thought to himself. A little shaken, as if he'd just seen a ghost Heero stood facing the door for a few seconds more, then went back and sat down and remained there in silence.

The four soldiers carried Duo down the hall to a small interrogation room, and unceremoniously placed him into a hard wooden armchair.

"Out," ordered the girl before the soldiers could surround Duo, who was still asleep.

"But Lieutenant, it could be dangerous," protested one of the soldiers.

The cold glare of disgust on her face made them start and they followed orders, walked out and locked the door behind them. The Lieutenant watched them set up guard in front of the door. She then turned to gaze at the still unconscious Duo.

Still looking at him, picked up her radio from her belt and began to speak.

"Hey John?" she called informally.

"Yes Lieutenant," responded a male voice on the other end.

"I need to do some repair on the surveillance camera in interrogation room 12, could you shut them down?"

"Yes ma'am," replied the voice.

The red light on the camera went out and a small amount of humming ceased.

"Security cameras for interrogation room 12 have been shut down until further notice."

"Thanks John," answered the girl.

"Not a problem Lieutenant."

With that done she clipped the radio to her belt, uncovered a tray of medical interments, pulled over a rolling stool, and sat down.

She took one long assessing look at the unconscious boy in front of her.

'Well I'll give you one thing, Duo, you sure do sleep hard.' She thought as she reached toward the try and picked up a small packet of smelling salts, broke it open. And with one hand holding his head straight, the other waved the salts under his nose, as she softly called his name.

"Duo… Duo?" she said as if beckoning a small child.

Then with one large inhalation of the acrid vapors his eyelids flung wide open with surprise. He blinked once or twice as he consciously settled back in the chair, and then stopped suddenly as his eyes focused on her.

"Morning bright eyes," she said mockingly.

Immediately a scowl wrinkled his brow. The girl just ignored it and reached for a vicious looking object on the tray.

"What do you want?" asked Duo, his eyes watching every move.

"Give me your arm," ordered the girl.

Resisting to cooperate, Duo didn't move. So she grabbed a hold of his wrist and stood his arm up on his elbow. He jerked his arm away with a grumble of pain and tried to stand up, but was halted by a lightning strike of pain that ran through his body. With a grunt of pain he collapsed back in the chair.

Mean while the lieutenant sat patiently, waiting for him to stop moving.

Then as he was just rising a second time, she stood herself, and with her right hand placed on his shoulder, shoved him into the chair.

Shocked at her strength and furious at her as well, Duo looked up and met her eyes. But the words were halted by the look of urgency in her eyes. Before he could make a go at it again, she leaned over him, her hands on the arms of the chair and spoke sternly.

"Hold still or I'll be forced to let them in," she informed quietly.

Duo cast a glance over her shoulder to the door where one of the stout guards peered through a square window.

"Is every thing alright Miss Katja?" asked the radio as it came to life with the voice from the guard on the outside.

Hearing the voice they both froze. She pulled the radio from her belt and replied as she turned to face the door.

"We're fine. He just woke up a little startled."

"Ten four, ma'am," replied the guard then the radio fell silent

Then she turned back to her patient, who looked back at her puzzled.

Not giving him the attention he would have wanted, Katja sat back down on her stool and continued her work, silently.

She avoided his arm for as long as she could. Wrapping his broken and bruised ribs, cleaning scrapes and small cuts with no word from him, only small flinches.

And then she was back to attending to his arm.

Both of them knew it had to be done. Katja looked at his arm then at him.

"I need to move it so I can clean and dress it," she said softly.

"Do what you have to," he replied as he grimaced and looked away.

He raised his arm slowly and Katja got a good look at the wound.

It was a gash that ran on the underside of his left forearm, about two inches from his wrist to about two inches to his elbow.

He held his arm up for her this time, and while Katja inspected the wound for infection, struck up a conversation.

"How bad is it?" he asked.

"Not too bad as far as gashes go, and pretty clean. But I'm going to have to clean it out again to make sure," Replied Katja as she reached for the cleaning solution and a couple cotton balls, and began.

"So your name is Katja. I had a friend named Katja once," He hissed between his clenched teeth against the pain.

Katja didn't reply, just kept swabbing the wound then turned away to the tray.

"So what is your last name Katja?" Asked Duo.

Turning back with a handheld cauterizer in hand she replied shortly.

"Kizer."

Being a step ahead of himself, Duo started to speak of his friend.

"Oh well her name was… What!" he finished a little stunned.

"Lieutenant Katja Mariey Kizer," She repeated quick and precise, like she had practiced saying it, being careful not to look at his eyes. Katja knew how his eyes had once made it impossible to keep a secret from him.

Katja finished cleaning the wound with a sterile dressing. As she finished the knot Duo laid his hand upon hers. Katja looked up at his face into his cobalt eyes filled with worry and pain. Silently pleading for answers.

Knowing that she couldn't tell him what he wanted to know, she looked away, trying to avoid the face she used to nearly break her neck to see everyday.

"The guards will escort you back to the cell." She said as she fidgeted with the implements on the tray, then rose and turned to the door and knocked three times.

It came unlocked and slid open. The four soldiers walked in, surrounded him and escorted him out. And with one look back over his shoulder he was gone.


	2. The Day the Air Ran Thin

THE DAY THE AIR RAN THIN

"Good morning Lieutenant Kizer," cheerfully started Corporal Gable, a young handsome clerk, informally.

"Morning Corporal. Any changes?" replied Katja in her usual morning routine as active warden, she had to check when prisoners were removed from their cells.

"Only at 0900. Lieutenant Barton removed Zero 1 from the cell under direct orders from Lady Une," answered Corporal Gable while flipping through his papers for a second check.

"And Zero 2 is doing better?" she asked absently.

"Yes, ma'am. Lieutenant Barton had to defend himself this morning because of him."

Fully hearing his response Katja looked up at him with her eyebrows raised in amusement. Gable gave a light chuckle and Katja masked it with a smirk of amusement. Then not being very amused at the thought of more injuries to treat, she sighed and broke the silence.

"Well I'll be about my rounds," she said as she took her papers and left.

Her first stop was the Gundam pilots' cell. Initially she was going to check his arm but now she might need to do more.

The door slid open with ease. The warm, nauseating smell of sweat from other cells rushed in behind her and mixed with the sterile smell of the pilot's cell.

Both of the shackled pilots were sitting in the middle of the dimly lit room. It looked as if she had interrupted a conversation.

She was alone and despite the shackles, an easy target for them.

As she got closer, Wufei stood and walked away. Duo just sat there watching her every move silently.

When she reached Duo she knelt to his level and reached to unlock his left arm from its cuff.

There was little blood on the sweat-dampened bandages and he wasn't injured from his encounter with Lieutenant Trowa Barton.

Duo cooperated and removed his shirt so she could check his other bandages.

"Well you're no worse for wear." She said while checking the wrap around his chest.

Duo who hadn't said anything the whole time, but kept watching her.

Finishing her work she put the cuff back on his wrist and got up and walked to the door.

"I know who you are," came a voice from behind.

Katja, who was just about to open the door, froze but didn't turn or respond.

Duo had silently gotten up and followed close behind her. Although she couldn't feel his touch she could sense his closeness, fighting a battle with her emotions she tried to ignore it.

"You're Katja Kizer, my friend from childhood. Who disappeared three years before the war," he paused for a moment silently pleading for some sort of answer.

"Why won't you help us?" he pleaded in a whisper.

Hearing the tenderness in his voice, Katja turned and looked up into his eyes.

"I'm helping you the best way I can," she said quietly. Then she put something in his breast pocket patted it and walked out.

When the door closed Duo hung his head with heartbreak.

She was my best friend for 2 years, and then she disappeared. Now she reappears as my enemy.

As his shoulders folded in, following the arch started by his head, the object she put in his pocket jabbed him in the chest.

"What the heck?" he exclaimed as he began to struggle with his shirt pocket.

After a few seconds of struggling he pulled it out the handheld cauterizer and read the warning label.

_HANDLE WITH CARE! _

_This is a thermal beam cauterizer. When not used properly it could cause serious injury, possibly resulting in the amputation of a limb. _

_USE EXTREME CAUTION. _

And signed at the bottom were the initials "G.A."

His head snapped up and he looked out the small square window in the door. Katja was standing outside looking in. She saw him and his confused look. She smiled at him and winked then walked away. For a split second he caught a glimpse of the Katja he was, and still is, very fond of.

He started to chuckle a little. Then Wufei interrupted.

"What's that?" called Wufei from the corner.

Duo walked over and tossed it in his lap and took a seat in front of him.

"A cauterizer?" he asked himself puzzled.

He read the label then got a mischievous twinkle in his eye, turned the beam on high and carefully applied it to the center link of his cuffs.

It went right through with no problem.

Wufei then took the cauterizer and applied it to Duo's cuffs.

With both of them free from their shackles, they eagerly tried the door, but it didn't work.

Discouraged Duo put the cauterizer in his pocket and plopped down on the floor and started to project the plans for their new Gundams on to the wall.

"Well I guess all we can do is sit here and wait." Said Duo as he gazed at the Gundams.

The Pilots were the first stop in what was usually a long list of prisoners. But because of the pilots and scientists both being held in the same place, the usual prisoners had been shipped off to a penal colony, far way from Earth. The hallways of the Cell Block resembled a dormitory. One hallway on top of the other with cells on either side of the hall. And like a dormitory at any college, the Cell Block was extremely confusing. It had been nicknamed the maze by a lot of the guards. Three floors. No way out at the bottom and the only way was up. Through the heavily guarded floors, the soldier's barracks, then to docking port "D" that was mainly used for mobile dolls

The Lunar Base was where all prisoners who were condemned to space would be held until their transfer to the penal colony.

Katja had just finished consulting with the scientist, and was walking back to her office on the floor above the Cell Block when her radio came to life.

"Lieutenant Kizer!" It shouted.

"Yes Gable, what is it?" she replied quickly.

"Be advised! Chief Engineer Tuberoff has evacuated all the guards in the Cell Block. You're the only one down there." he paused, the panic obvious in his voice.

"…THEY'RE HERE! GET OUT OF THERE LIEUTENANT! IT'S A RE…!" his scream was followed by static.

Before she could reply, all the lights and air was shut off.

"What the hell?" thought Katja as she fumbled with her flashlight?

"Click," it came on and Katja started to walk a little faster. But instead of going up to the next floor she was going down, deeper into the Cell Block.

"Gable what going on?" she shouted into her radio as she began to run down the maze of hallways.

"Gable I need an answer!" she shouted again.

Just as she reached the bottom of second floor of the Cell Block she came to a screeching halt, retraced her tracks. And stopped at the doors of a small storeroom filled with O2 tanks and Lithium Breathers.

"GABLE!" she shouted, a little winded from the run, while fumbling with her keys. There was no response. Katja ignored it and continued to search for the master key. When an unfamiliar voice came over the speaker.

"Oh, I do hope you will forgive me, Lieutenant Kizer, but… Gable is dead. And soon you, the scientists and the two pilots will be joining him," the voce was the unmistakable nasal whining of Chief Engineer Tuberoff.

"You conniving bastard! I'll get you for this!" she shouted back into the radio.

When she was finished all she heard was Tuberoff laughing. Spastically she threw the radio down the hall and it shattered into 100 pieces.

Then finally finding the right key she thrust it into the lock, unlocked the door and threw it open.

Becoming lightheaded from the high activity and lack of oxygen, she dove for a box of Lithium Breathers and shoved one over her face and took a deep breath. The light-headedness left her and she grabbed a few more breathers and ran to the scientists' cell, on the second floor.

They were barely awake when she got there. She took the breather from her face and gave it to Dr. J, Prof. G, and Instructor H to share. Then gave an extra one to the other two. She then directed them to interrogation room 12, the only room on the second floor left with air.

Gasping for air they all entered the room. And with out any words to them Katja pulled out the last breather and headed out again. This time to the pilots' cell. At the very end of the bottom floor.

She got about half way down the hall where they were housed, when the breather began to malfunction. She took one long draw of air from it then threw it away.

When she got to the door her lungs burned and ached for more air and the numbers on the keypad jumped around a little, but the code was entered in correctly. The door opened.

The lack of oxygen, finally overcame her and she lost consciousness and fell into the doorway, unintentionally blocking the door from automatically closing.

"And that is exactly why we shall be enemies," said Lady Une as she pressed the button to turn on the lights and air systems in the cells.

She turned to face Tuberoff. Strait and tall like a good soldier.

Bang!

Lady Une's knees loosen with shock, and she collapsed from a fatal bullet wound.

"Whussshhhh." The air came on.

Both boys inhaled suddenly.

Then they both looked to each other and smiled.

"Shall we escape?" asked Duo.

"After we pay them back, hah," answered Wufei.

They ran through the door not paying any notice to the reason it was open, to their Gundams and battled their way free from the Lunar Base.


	3. Chasing a Lost Soul

CHASING THE LOST SOUL

"…And that is your news tonight. I'm R.J. Coleman saying see you tomorrow night."

So they've taken over the Lunar Base. I wonder what will happen next, thought Katja Kizer as she gazed blindly at the rolling credits.

It was raining, again. And Katja as on a mission to find Trowa.

After hearing about the Veigh-8 exploding in space and escaping the revolt at the Lunar Base, Katja had spent a week looking for him. Bouncing from one colony to the next. Always coming up empty-handed.

Feeling discouraged and that hope was running out, she turned from the electronic store and started to walk down the sidewalk.

With her head lowered to block the rain Katja didn't see where she was going and ran into someone.

She looked up to apologize and saw one green eye and the other covered by his bangs.

"Oh! Sorry Trowa. I didn't see you," said Katja as calmly as she could. Striving to act like it always happened even though a great feeling of victory nearly forced her to hug him, but she controlled herself, and began to walk away. He turned to watch her go.

"Do I know you?" he asked through his chattering teeth.

Katja stopped and turned around.

"Yep. We worked together at the circus. I'm Katja Kizer," she said trying to convince him. He shook her hand absently.

Realizing that he wasn't going to talk much or even knew where to go, Katja jumped in.

"Let's go get out of the rain," she offered. And both of them started their way across the shopping center parking lot.

They got just past the grocery store when a female voice stopped them.

"Trowa?" asked the girl.

He just looked up in response.

"Trowa, it's me Catherine. Don't you remember your own sister?" she asked again.

Trowa kept looking at her then plainly said "Cathy"

Just then Katja stepped in.

"Hey Catherine, how are you?" she said almost defensively.

"Katja!" said Catherine with a start. "What are you doing here?"

With her expression as stoic as Trowa's usually are, she replied.

"Going to the circus."

They both paused, glaring at each other.

"Oh! I'll give you two a ride then."

When they got to the circus Katja and Trowa helped Catherine take her groceries into the trailer they shared before he left.

While Catherine put away the groceries, Trowa sat down on the couch and Katja just stood near the door.

"Katja why don't you take off your jacket and relax?" asked Catherine as she walked from the kitchen to the living room.

"No, I'm fine," answered Katja absently.

As if she didn't hear, Catherine walked over and tried to remove the soaked black jacket from her shoulders. Instinctively Katja grasped Catherine's wrists as she reached for the jacket and squeezed very hard.

"I said I'm fine," hissed Katja through her teeth.

Catherine jerked her hands away rubbing her wrists.

"Why don't you go find Jamie?" she suggested in a snippy tone.

"Where is he?" asked Katja who had gone back to her absent-minded looking around the room.

"He's master of tents. Where do you think he is?" she snapped.

With this response Katja looked at Catherine, her face free of expression, but the distinct feeling of hatred and disgust made her sick. So she nodded and took her leave.

The room was dark. Only the faint light from the "North Pole", a 15-foot lamppost erected in the middle of camp, shone through the windows.

The flimsy trailer door came open and a large figure of a man blocked out the light. The figure flipped the light switch on, slowly illuminating the makeshift living room.

As the neon lights flickered, his eyes, not quiet adjusted to the light, caught a glimpse of a dark figure in the far corner of the room, lurking in the shadows.

Instantly Jamie Krieger, a 6': 3" lean 237 pound mass of muscle with jet black hair, deep brown eyes and golden tanned skin, went on the defensive, clutching his pocket knife.

"Who's there?" he demanded with eyes fixed on the figure.

With the sound of his voice, it's back straightened and then turned, slowly taking a step into the light.

She was dressed in a jet-black Oz uniform. A priest collar trimmed in a thin sliver, a silver braid encircled her left shoulder, and thin silver trim around the cuffs and in the swirling design of the cuff.

Her hair, although wet was neatly tied back in a small ponytail with only a few wisps hanging loose.

Jamie, whose eyes were still not accustomed to the light, sternly ordered again. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Well it's nice to see you too Jamie," responded Katja with a slight air of humor.

With his eyes now adjusted his expression took on that of amazement.

"Katja?" he asked, his voice shaking with amazement.

At the speaking of her name she stepped further into the light. She smiled at him pleasantly, but Jamie just glared back.

"What's wrong, Jamie?" she asked innocently.

"You broke the promise," he answered coldly.

Katja lowered her gaze suddenly remembering a childhood promise.

Oz recruiters had come to the circus looking for some strong guys to join. They singled out Jamie and a few others but they all declined. One of the soldiers recognized her name and tried to get her to join. She avoided the trap for about half the day. During the afternoon show she was cornered by a group of them. Jamie had stepped in before they could force her to go. As soon as they got clear of the soldiers, Jamie made Katja promise him that no matter what happens, that she'd never join Oz.

Katja shook her head at the memory and looked up at him.

"I've broken a lot of promises stronger then the one I made you," she responded sorrowfully.

"Why Katja? Why would you become what you hated?" he paused, waving his hands about wildly in confusion. Apart of something that destroyed your life?"

"Save the speech Jamie!" she said calmly as if it happened all the time.

Stunned at her talking back, Jamie just shook his head, knowing what a futile attempt it would be to argue with her.

"Go get changed. I have too strong of an urge to hurt you with that uniform on."

Katja understood and went to her old room to change.

She walked out a few minuets later, wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and a navy blue T-shirt, and joined Jamie, who was making some beef stew in the kitchen.

She sat down at the table, and Jamie started up a conversation like she had never left.

"So where have you been?" asked Jamie as he served the stew.

"Space, Earth and everywhere in between," answered Katja jokingly.

Jamie chuckled at her response and began to eat his stew.

"I heard that you hurt Catherine's wrists," he inquired.

Katja just smiled and answered.

"If Trowa had seen me in the uniform I wasn't sure if he would attack me or not so I had to keep the jacket on," she replied.

"But you weren't afraid that I would hurt you?" asked Jamie.

"You're different," answered Katja with a smile.

They were like two different people, who joked together and caught up on lost years.

Finished with his dinner, Jamie got up and put his bowl in the sink and turned back to the table.

"Well we've better get to bed. Can I rely on your help tomorrow?" he asked after looking at the clock, which read ten o'clock.

"Sure. What are you doing?" asked Katja.

"Replacing the ropes in the tent." Said Jamie with a sly look.

Katja groaned at the thought of tomorrow's work as she got up, took her bowl to the sink and shuffled off to bed.

The next morning the work began.

The tent had already been pulled down. The Tent's men worked like an assembly line: one would cut loose the old rope, another replace it and the last would spray paint the eyelets so they knew they got that one.

By lunch time the tent had been re-risen and Jamie and Katja walked around giving the stake ropes a final inspection. While all of the performers were inside the tent because today was rehearsal day. That is when the show is run through to make sure that nothing will go wrong.

"…Now Trowa and Catherine will enter and go through their act… precede Catherine," instructed the ringmaster.

Catherine nodded in response and they began their act.

Trowa was already strapped to the wheel, awaiting the daggers.

While outside of the tent Jamie and Katja finished up inspecting all of the new stake ropes.

"These sure are better then the ones we had for the last show. I'm still surprised that they didn't break right in the middle of the show for how much they were stretching," cheerfully recalled Jamie.

"Well now we don't have to worry about them breaking during the trapeze act," laughed Katja.

Jamie and Katja were the acting masters of tents. While neither had very much talent except for moving trunks, they could raise a big top in less then an hour and still uphold an impeccable safety record.

"I really hate it when the ropes get old. It just makes this job more and more stressful." Pointed out Katja as she and Jamie walked into the tent to watch the acts.

Back inside the tent, Trowa and Catherine's act went flawlessly. More acts followed theirs. The rest of the show seemed to go by fine to the tent workers in the stands. Then the big-mouthed ringmaster screamed at the top of his lungs to stop and that they had to go through the entire thing again because an elephant's timing was off.

So with a sigh of despair all of the performers slowly dragged their feet, and walked behind the curtain.

The show began with the grand entrance of everyone performing in the show. The elephants and horses led the way. Even though not in their costumes it's still great.

About two acts into the show, at Tent's Men came up to Jamie and Katja.

"Jamie we need you outside. One of the stakes is coming loose," said the Tent's Men.

With that, Jamie got up and followed the Tent's Men out of to the loose stake.

As Katja looses sight of Jamie she hears her name called by one of the female performers.

Catherine was standing by one flap of the tent calling out to Katja.

"Katja! Oh there you are," said Catherine in her usual cheery tone. "One of the Tent's Men must have missed a flap hole," she informed.

Katja reached into her utility pants pocket and pulled out a small stake and a piece of rope.

"I'll crawl under the flap and stake it on the other side. Just be ready to lift it a little when I call," ordered Katja in a friendly way.

So Katja did a military crawl under the flap to the other side. From that point on all you see are a pair of hands string the rope through the eyelet and then the flap tightens.

"Tink, Tink, Tink," the stake was driven into the ground.

"OK Catherine! Lift it up!" shouted Katja.

Up went an intentionally loose section of the tent and in rolled Katja in a tight summer salt. Then she stood up. Pretending to be a great acrobat, she presented herself with arms gracefully stretched to total wingspan and bowed to the applause of the performers who witnessed her ingenuity.

Once she stopped her act everyone went back to watching for their cue.

"Katja can you help me?" asked Trowa as he walked towards her holding his mask in his hands.

"I can't seem to get my mask to stay. I think the string is broken," he said as he put the mask on to show the problem.

Katja reached out and turned him around so she could see the back of his head.

"Well the sting isn't broken, your head just grew over night," joked Katja.

"No the string has just stretched. I can rig it so it will stay for tonight's performance, then I'll have to put a new one in for you."

"Ok," agreed Trowa.

Katja took the excess string and tied it in a knot on the back of Trowa's head.

"There we are. Hurry, you're up next," rushed Katja.

"Thanks!" called Trowa as he walked towards the curtain.

Katja walked behind him and then stopped at a barrel that the clowns use and intently watched Trowa's act.

"Ah isn't that cute, Joe?" said Janice Murphy in a slight southern twang.

"What's that, dear?" asked Joe Murphy, Janice's husband. Both of whom were dressed as clowns.

Janice reached up and lightly turned Joe's chin in Katja's direction.

"Oh!" he exclaimed.

"That poor girl. The way that Catherine is protecting Trowa, she'll never get to be with him again," said Janice in a mournful way.

Katja and Trowa signed up with the circus at about the same time and since then they had been the closest thing to best friends either of them had for along time. While they knew this the rest of the circus thought they were a couple.

"Well don't fret now honey. Katja is just as stubborn as Catherine and both her and Trowa will find a way to get together. Catherine or no," confidently stated Joe. They both walked out on to the ring and went through their act with no flaws.

The rest of the acts went perfectly. And nervously everyone started the finale, hoping that there are no mistakes, repeating the show isn't that fun.

Catherine and Trowa were the last performers in the second group to make their way across the ring to the exit on the other side of the center ring.

Trowa stepped into the light, waving his hand and smiling like was expected of him. Everything was going fine until Katja heard someone yelling on her radio.

"THE ROPES ARE BREAKING!"

"WHICH ONES!"

"THE ONES FOR THE #2 SUPPORT COLUMN!"

"WHAT SHOULD WE DO?"

"GET EVERYONE OUT OF THE TENT. IF IT HITS THE MAIN POST THE WHOLE THING IS GOING DOWN!"

At that moment Katja looked up to see the top of the #2 support column begin to waver and start its plummet to the ground. She looked down and saw that Trowa was standing right under it.

It began to fall faster and Trowa hadn't moved because of a back up behind stage. None of the Tent's Men had reached then tent yet so no one knew the danger.

Instantly she screamed.

"TROWA, GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

Catherine instantly ran for the nearest exit. While Trowa, stunned by the sudden yelling, turned towards the sound instead of running.

Seeing that he didn't run, Katja instantly took off while the others reached in vain to take her to safety, only grasping air.

About five feet from Trowa, Katja leaped for him. Arms out-stretched in what looked like an imitation of superman.

About half way to him, she realized that she would miss him, and did a twist in mid air to change her direction.

Just as she regained sight of Trowa, her arms impacted his midsection and shoved him well away from danger.

A split second after they connected, the massive wooden column struck Katja's legs towing her down with it.

When it hit, the column pulled her entire body down so fast that it looked like the end of a whip when it's snapped in air. She hit the ground and bounced up again. When she hit the second time she let out a horrifyingly savage scream of pain.

The number two column landed two feet away from the main, and had wounded one who strives to keep it standing.

Katja was lying on her back, her legs pinned under the column, with her head rocking side to side as she tried to regain her bearings, while Trowa lie sprawled out on the ground, still stunned at what had just occurred.

Joe Murphy and Jamie were the first to her side.

"Hold your head still Katja. Helps on the way," Jamie said while taking hold of her head to steady it, and then reached for his radio.

"ALL TENTS MEN, ALL TENT'S MEN. REPORT TO THE BIG TOP TRIPPLE TIME. ONE OF OUR OWN IS UNDER #2. ALL TENT'S MEN, REPORT TO THE BIG TOP," bellowed Jamie.

Almost instantly forty burly men came running into the tent.

"Half of you get 1000 footers and tie them to the top of the column. The rest of you get ready to lift this log off the ground. Make sure you toss them over a strong beam for leverage!" ordered Jamie, still holding Katja's head between his massive hands.

While staring blindly at the top of the tent, Katja sensed the commotion.

"Jamie, what's going on…, what's all the yelling about?" weary and disoriented Katja began to speak brokenly.

Without Jamie noticing she lifted her head and looked down towards her feet. The only thing she saw was Joe standing by the giant wooden column.

Realizing she had moved, Jamie gently pushed her head down to rest on the cool damp sandy floor.

"Don't move, Katja. We're getting ready to move it off you," informed Jamie soothingly.

Trowa came to stand above her, looking down. Katja began to panic.

"My legs… I thought … I got through… I can't breath… my chest hurts," she said while painfully gasping for breath.

Trowa knelt down at her side gently placing his left hand on top of hers.

"Don't panic, it will only hurt worse. Try to lie still," he said in a low comforting tone.

Realizing that Trowa was at her side, Jamie violently grabbed the scuff of his shirt and brought Trowa's face with in inches of his own.

"You! Stay here! Don't let her fall asleep or panic. When you think you can pull her out, do it. You're strong enough."

Trowa just took in his orders with wide eyes and nodded. With that small response Jamie got up and left them to take charge of the rescue attempt.

When Jamie had focused his attention to the problem at hand, Trowa took hold of Katja's left hand. Then calmly stroking her hair out of her face, he softly spoke to her in a whisper, which forced her to concentrated to him instead of the pain of breathing and her legs.

His voice was so soothing and calming that Katja almost fell asleep.

By the time Jamie and the men had begun to lift the 2000-pound column, Katja was completely under Trowa's comforting spell.

"All right men… PULL!" bellowed Jamie.

With the sound of 80 men straining on the ropes to help two 4x4 trucks slowly towing the ropes, the column started to rise.

Jamie ran back toward us, shouting orders.

"TROWA REMEMBER! WHEN IT'S FAR ENOUGH OFF THE GROUND, I WANT YOU TO PULL HER OUT AS FAST AS YOU CAN!"

"All right!" Shouted Trowa in response.

Katja remained quite drowsy. Trowa laid her hand down on her slowly rising stomach. Then shifted from kneeling on the left side of her body to a squatting position above her head, and cupped his hands around her underarms, then waited with eyes focused on the column, waiting for the right moment. All the while his soothing words continued. It wasn't English but something different, she didn't know what, but it was like he was speaking a language that her body just responded to, a language that shut off her conscious mind and let the rhythm of the words steady the rhythm of her body.

Approximately five minuets later Trowa looked up and saw that the column was far enough to pull her out.

So getting a better footing, Trowa started to pull.

At first he was about to move her a few inches, then it was like she was stuck on something and he was getting tired.

Just as the fatigue was getting to him, another pair of hands grasped her and started to pull along with him.

"Pull!" shouted the person the hands belonged to.

They both heaved at once and then again. On the second try Katja was pulled free and they fell backwards on their rears.

"WE'RE CLEAR!" Shouted Trowa to Jamie.

The column was then slowly dropped back to the ground.

Jamie ran over to survey the scene.

Katja was unconscious with her head resting in the crook of Trowa's elbow, and body between his legs. Trowa and his helper were sprawled behind her.

"I told you not to let her go out!" snapped Jamie.

Trowa just ignored him and continued his soothing whispering.

The circus physician ran over to check her out.

"She's stable. Jamie, could you carry her to your trailer?" asked the doctor.

Jamie nodded, bent down and picked her up. Cradling her like a newborn baby.

As they walked away, Trowa finally acknowledged the owner of his helping hands.

"Who are you?" he asked blankly.

"Well you're welcome for the help," said Duo cheerfully. Then after a double take, added a quick and stunned "What do you mean who am I?"

Trowa just stared at him blankly.

"Whoa! You really don't know me?" said Duo as he realized that Trowa had no clue who he was.

"Well thank you. You can clean up a bit in my trailer," offered Trowa.

"Thanks!" replied Duo as he jumped up and offered Trowa a hand.

They walked to Trowa's trailer and got cleaned up.

"All I've got to say, Jamie, is thank God you boys watered down the floor before the accident. It was the soft ground that kept her legs from breaking." Said the doctor as he walked out of Katja's room with Jamie and into the living room where Trowa and Duo were waiting to hear the verdict.

"She'll have some nasty bruises on her shins, but will be okay. I've given her a shot of morphine to ease the pain for the night. Give her aspirin for the pain from now on and keep her in bed for a while." He finished as he gathered up his hat and medicine bag.

"Thank you doctor." Said Jamie as he showed him to the door.

Jamie turned around; his head hung low as he took the nearest chair, sat down and placed his head in his hands.

Trowa and Duo didn't say anything, just got up and walked to Katja's room.

The room was dark, only a dull light from the North Pole shone through the window.

Katja was lying on the bed, her legs propped up on pillows, still in her work cloths and dirty from lying on the dirt floor.

Trowa sat down in a chair placed at the side of her bed, and just looked at her for a long time.

"It's all my fault. If I would have moved she wouldn't be hurt." Said Trowa absently.

Duo was standing behind him, gazing at Katja but replied. "You didn't know there was danger Trowa. Don't blame yourself."

They both paused for a moment making silent wishes.

"I'm sorry Katja." Trowa mumbled quietly, got up and left the room.

When Trowa had left, Duo took his place in the chair.

He gazed at her face. Watching her smile and winkle her nose in her sleep. His eyes traveled down her frame then stopped on the way back up to her face, on her left hand, which was resting at her side.

He looked at it for a bit. Then carefully picked up her hand and held it gently in his. He smiled as he noticed the different spots where they had been worked to calluses and red sores, where the back of her hand had been used as a note pad. The tan line from her watch, and the small faint childhood scars, he could trace and remember what caused them. A piece of glass, first experiment with flairs and thermal beams, knife. Her hands were always smaller than his, and very delicate, but knew the meaning of hard work.

He closed his hand around hers and held it firmly, not wanting to let her go. He just held her hand in his, just to hold her.

Feeling someone touch her, Katja's eyes begin to open and, drowsily, she turned her head to see who it was, but her eyes wouldn't focus on the person.

"Do you just look for ways to hurt yourself?" softly joked Duo.

The sound of his voice brought a flood of memories of him to her disposal, but her eyes had focused enough to see his features in the dim light.

She smiled weakly and replied even weaker.

"Duo… What are you doing here?"

"Well I was passing by and heard the commotion. Thought I'd check it out." He replied.

"How bad is it?" She asked, drowsily.

"Not bad. You've some broken ribs but your legs only have some bad bruises." He answered.

Katja just nodded slowly and began to doze off again.

Duo smiled, brushed her bangs back.

"You just get some rest. You'll need it." He said softly.

Duo laid her hand back on the bed. Stood up and left the room.

"BANG!" the door to Jamie's trailer burst open and Jamie ran out.

"Katja!" he yelled. "Katja, where are you?"

At 8:00 am in the morning Jamie was out side of his trailer in a pair of boxers, searching for Katja.

_She just had a 2000lb column fall on her legs, she couldn't have gotten far,_ he thought as he ran through the camp.

As he ran by Trowa's trailer shouting, Duo poked his head out of the door.

"What's wrong?" he asked as Jamie jogged by.

He came to a skidding stop and went back to talk to Duo.

"Katja. Do you know where she is?" he asked while catching his breath.

Duo didn't answer immediately but looked at the camp silently taking a visual inventory of the area for possible modes of transportation.

"Are there any trucks missing?" he asked still looking off in the distance.

"I don't know. Could you check? I'm, heading over to the horse tent." And with that Jamie took off running.

Duo, always ready, had his boots on and took off to check the trailer because if he knew Katja like he did, she left some clue as to where she had went.

The door was still open. Duo walked in and directly to her room.

Her bed looked slept in, none of her cloths had been removed from the closet except her uniform.

She must have left in the cloths she slept in, he thought as he continued to investigate.

Duo searched the rest of the trailer but found no hint.

He was fumbling through some mail on the kitchen table when it came to him.

_Last night there wasn't anything on the nightstand. This morning there was a journal and a picture,_ he thought to himself. Feeling that he was on to something, Duo quickly went back to her room.

And there on the nightstand was a picture of Katja and himself when they were kids and a journal.

He picked up the journal and underneath was an envelope with his name written on it. He sat down on the floor, tore it open and began to read.

Dear Duo,

I knew you would come here looking for a clue. Well if you haven't figured it out yet, I didn't leave any, because I don't want you to follow me.

Take the journal and picture. They're for you, read it and cherish them both.

Finally take care of Trowa and yourself. And please survive this war. I do want to see you again under better circumstances. And know that I had to leave, for the safety of the people in the circus and for your safety.

Never forget me & thank you.

Love,

Katja Mariy Kizer

"Guardian Angel"

He clenched his fist around the note and held it to his chest.

_Why do you keep running from me?_ he thought with is head bent down, teeth grinding and eyes clenched shut, fighting his emotions.

"I thought you were checking the trucks." Snapped a hoarse voice behind him.

Duo straitened up and turned to look.

Jamie was standing in the doorway waiting for an answer.

Duo shook his head from side to side.

"No. She didn't take a truck. She's on foot." He answered as he began to straighten and refold he letter.

"Well let's go find her." Said Jamie getting a little anxious.

"No, let her go." Ordered Duo in a stern whisper.

"What do you mean 'no'? She's in no shape to travel on foot especially alone!" exclaimed Jamie.

Duo looked up at Jamie with the look of a devoted and imminently faithful priest, for which the cloths didn't help, who was counseling someone on the death of a loved one, and said calmly. "It was time for her to go."

Jamie stood there silently, stunned, while Duo stood up, picked up the picture and journal and walked past him and out the door. Leaving Jamie in the room, staring off into oblivion.

Later that day Duo bid farewell to Trowa, who still didn't remember him. And Headed off on his separate road.

He reached about a mile outside of the circus grounds and looked back.

He had a glimpse into her past. She could have been happy here, but duty called for her, as it did now for him, and she left a potentially happy life for that of a soldier and pilot.


	4. From One Princess To Another

Chapter 4

FROM ONE PRINCESS TO ANOTHER

"Good afternoon," Greeted Reilna Peacecraft, cheerfully to her fellow classmates.

"I would like you all to meet our newest student. Lieutenant Katja Kizer."

At the sound of her name she stepped through the door. She was wearing her Oz uniform, a bargain out between her and Relina.

All of the girls gasped in surprise at the sight of her.

Heero and Quatre, who were sitting in the back of the group, faced the front and listened more intently.

"Miss Katja is going to be continuing her education here with us. I'd hope you all treat her with kindness and respect.? She paused and looked to Katja. "You may take a seat Katja."

Katja walked around to the back of the group and sat down in an empty chair.

The class continued with the usual discussion on total pacifism. Every few minuets one of the girls in the group would look back at her. Katja never spoke a word, but when she noticed them they would whip back around in their chair as if she were Medusa.

When class was dismissed Katja left the main building and went for a walk through the grounds.

The capital city was, strangely enough, near the mountain boarder of the Canq Kingdom.

"I wonder where she's going," said Quatre to Heero. The two boys were standing on one of the many balconies watching her as she shrank out of sight.

"Well were ever it is she doesn't want to be disturbed," answered Heero as he walked back inside.

The walk was long and tiresome. Especially now that Katja had a limp to deal with. The increased gravity made her legs throb with pain if she was late with the aspirin, and caused her to take her medication more frequently. But it was worth it.

She reached the crest of the hill. And there, in the valley below her was Aurora, her home country.

When she had left it was very peaceful, now it was at the brink of chaos. With Oz sitting at the border of the Canq Kingdom, Aurora wouldn't be safe.

'This place is so beautiful. How could any one want to destroy it' thought Katja as she gazed at the bustling valley below.

The tint of deep blues and greens gave the illusion that she was looking through a stained glass window. The colors seemed to melt together like watercolors, to create a perfect portrait. One that made you forget that there was a war going on not far from there.

Katja looked to the northeast and there she could get a glimpse of the royal palace only a quarter of it peaked out from behind the slope of a mountain.

'Borealis the home to the royal family, now occupied by the last remaining ruler. If he died now, Oz would surely take over.'

The thought of Oz occupying her homeland made her want to cry. The only family she had left was with in the boarders of Aurora, and she would be able to do nothing if Oz attacked, but watch and wait.

Katja bowed her head, trying to fight back worthless tears. Ones shed for a fear not an outcome. But with those few tears, came a rage that hadn't been released since her parent's death. She snapped her head up and glared at the horizon, her eyes welling over with tears.

"Oz. You destroyed my family. You've destroyed my life. But you'll never destroy my home or my spirit," she said with the clear defiance of any patriot.

Katja wiped her eyes with her sleeve as she turned to leave. But she hesitated and took one last look back.

"Hold on Opa, I'll get you some help. I'll bring you safety," she promised. Looked to the snow tipped mountains, then turned her back to her home and walked back to the school.

It was dusk when she had neared the school gate. And unexpectedly, Quatre was waiting for her there.

She walked up to him. Not paying much attention to his welcoming smile.

"So how are you faring??he asked, as she got closer.

Katja stopped, looked up at him and smiled softly.

"I think I'll be alright. How about you?" she asked

"I'll survive," replied Quatre with a slight chuckle.

Quatre motioned for her to walk with him and they strolled around the garden. There was an uncomfortable silence between them, but it was broken quickly.

"Heero told me who you are."

"He did?" asked Katja in almost disbelief.

"He said that initially you two trained together then one day you were gone. Dr. J told him that you had died," replied Quatre.

"I figured he would know who I was after I met him at the Lunar Base," said Katja with a small laugh.

"I have to admit. I was a little nervous about having an Oz soldier going to the same school as us. But now that I know you are friends with Heero I'm a little calmer," said Quatre as if it were a great burden he was lifting from his shoulders.

"Well don't be to surprised if there comes a time when I will refuse to recognize you," warned Katja.

"I know. Trowa had to do the same when he was in Oz," At the thought of Trowa, Quatre's smile faded.

Katja knew what it would mean to him to know that Trowa was alive but couldn't tell him. 'That was one of the prices to being a Guardian' as Dr. J had put it once.

She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and he looked her way.

"I'm sure he's ok," she said softly then smiled.

He smiled in response.

They walked a little further. Then noticing that walking was becoming somewhat of a chore for her, Quatre offered a seat on a near by bench.

"What did you do to get such a bad limp?"he asked while they took a rest.

"Something fell on me, and I've got some bad bruises on my shins. They don't hurt that much," she answered.

Feeling a little uneasy Katja stood up.

"Well I'd better get to bed. Good night Quatre."

Quatre rose at the same time.

"I'll walk you to your door. No one should be walking around out here alone."

They reached Katja's door in about 5 minuets.

She unlocked the door opened it and went inside. Once in she turned to Quatre, who was still standing in the hallway.

"Good night Quatre," said Katja as she closed her door.

"Good night," replied Quatre.

Over the next couple of days it wasn't uncommon to see Heero, Quatre and Katja together.

On this particular day all three of them had gone to the fencing room after class. They were just standing there watching when Dorothy Catalonia strolled over to them. With her main focus being on Katja.

"So this is our grand Oz soldier is it?" she asked sarcastically.

Katja who, for all apparent reasons wasn't exactly standing tall with her shoulders back and her back strait, kept her eyes focused on a distant object and didn't move, let alone respond. Which just gave Dorothy more fuel to throw on the fire.

"I mean look at you!" she exclaimed. "I'm ashamed to consider myself a member of the Romefeller Foundation! Especially with you slouching and limping as if you fought some great battle, when everyone knows you didn't. That is what we have the mobile dolls for." She paused for a second.

"Well aren't you going to answer me?" she asked.

Up until then Katja had done a miraculous job at keeping her eyes staring off into the distance and ignoring nearly everything Dorothy had said. But when she asked for an answer, Katja snapped her head to face her directly and gave her an ice-cold glare.

Dorothy was shocked slightly from the glare, then even more when Katja stood up from leaning on the wall, turned on her heel and walked away, with no verbal reply, and no pursuit from Dorothy.

Katja walked all the way back to her room and there she removed her jacket and eased herself into bed.

I wonder what month it is, she thought to her self. It's getting close, I can feel it.

A shot of pain ran through her right leg. She just winced at it. Then took a pen from the top drawer of the nightstand. She pulled off the cap to revel a cleverly hidden syringe. She found a sterile needle, screwed it on and set the dosage.

But then she stopped and stared at the milky liquid for a moment.

'This is the only thing keeping me alive and I neglect to use it. Only for extremes,' she paused a moment deciding weather her present situation deserved this medication. As she stared off into space she tried to think of the last time she had used it.

'At least three months over due, she thought to herself.

Her head bobbed from side to side and she became suddenly light-headed.

Without thinking any further she pulled up her left sleeve and stabbed the needle into her forearm.

"Click, Click, Click." The dose of medication was given. There was a slight burning in her arm as the medication spread through her veins. She drowsily took care of the needle and then went to sleep. Her classes weren't worth the pain.

No matter how many alterations Dr. J had made the pain will always be there, she thought to herself as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

"The pain is what will kill me." She murmured before passing out.

The next morning Katja got up feeling groggy from the medication and went to take to Heero. He needed to know what was going on.

On her way to Heero's room Katja passed Relina's secretary, who also served as the mailman for the school.

"Here is your mail, Miss Katja."

Katja retraced her steps and took the letter from the secretary.

Seeing the emblem on the envelope, she tore open the envelope.

It was from Oz, she was being called back into service.

Immediately Katja went to Relina's office.

She needed to leave immediately.

"Knock, Knock."

"Come in." answered Relina, not bothering to turn from gazing out the window behind her desk.

Upon command Katja entered quietly, closing the door behind her. Then came to stand in front of the desk. She noticed Relina's mood. Obviously she hadn't received good news as well and now this was going to make it worse.

"Miss Relina, I've been called back into service. I must remove myself from this school." Said Katja in a monotone voice but with a hint of disappointment.

Relina turned to face Katja. Her expression solemn.

"Well if you must you must." She said disappointed. She picked up the contract that they had agreed to and tore it in two, then threw it in the trash.

Relina paused after throwing it away, staring at the torn pieces of paper now lying in the trash.

"You would've made a great leader, Katja." She said absently, then looked up at Katja who was standing stone faced like a good soldier.

"Good Luck, and I hope to see you after this is all over." Relina said as she reached out a hand to shake.

Katja shook her hand then turned and walked half way to the door, then paused, turned back and returned to the place she was just standing.

"That reminds me." She said as she walked back.

"The country of Aurora connects with the Canq Kingdom's mountain border correct?"

Relina, confused at where Katja was going with this, answered. "That's correct."

"Could I ask that the Canq Kingdom incorporate the country of Aurora within its boarders for the duration of the war?"

"Katja, I can't do that without the authorization from a member of the royal family from that country." Exclaimed Relina, extremely distressed.

Katja looked at her with a mischievous smile and placed a business card on the desk.

"My Grandfather would really appreciate it." She paused again.

Relina looked at her like a confused child. Katja just smiled again, turned and went to the door, opened it and looked back and continued.

"Just think of it as a favor between two princesses."

Relina nodded absently.

"Good." Said Katja. "I'll see you around."

And before Relina could get a word in edgewise, Katja left closing the door behind her.

Relina picked up the card from the desk, and read it

His Royal Majesty

King Hans Ludwig Kizer III

Of Aurora.

Her jaw dropped and her head snapped up as she looked at the door, stunned. She had just seen the fabled Kizer Ghost.


	5. The Past Resurected

**THE PAST RESURECTED**

"Lieutenant Kizer to see you, sir." Said the male military secretary.

Duke Dermail was sitting behind his desk reviewing a file intently.

"Yes, Yes. Send her in." he replied impatiently.

Katja walked in straight and tall. When she came to stop in front of his desk, she snapped to and saluted.

Duke Dermail didn't pay much attention but motioned her to sit down and waited for a second while he finished reading a line on the report. When he was finished he looked up at Katja.

"First of all, Lieutenant Kizer I would like to congratulate you on your successful escape from the Lunar Base." He began.

"Now this next assignment is very sensitive. And I expect you'll handle it very well." He paused again as he pulled a piece of paper out from underneath the file, which she recognized as her own.

"Your new assignment is to guard Trez Kushrenada. And to make sure that he is neither assassinated or escapes."

Katja's eyes grew as wide as saucers.

"You've got to be kidding, sir!" she exclaimed.

Duke Dermail glared at her for speaking without permission. Katja didn't seem to notice, but promptly asked permission to speak freely.

"Go ahead, I want to hear your thoughts," he answered.

"With all due respect, sir, I'm supposed to baby-sit, Trez Kushrenada? I joined Oz to fight and use my knowledge of tactics, not to baby sit a grown man!" she exclaimed with contempt.

"This is only temporary, Lieutenant, you will be reassigned as..."

"As soon as he is assassinated I'll be assigned to grave detail then back to doing something worthless!" Interrupted Katja, furious with the assignment and the way Duke Dermail was leading Oz.

"Ever since Zechs Marquis became a traitor, you divided up his superior division and scattered them to the wind, most of whom have been killed because of the incompetence of the soldiers fighting along-side them. I've been lucky because you've seen it in all your great wisdom to send me anywhere there isn't a need for my services…" Shouted Katja.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!!" Shouted Duke Dermail, who had jumped out of his chair to tower over Katja, who was still sitting down.

Katja froze and listened to what he had to say.

"YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO SAY IN WHERE YOU GO, OR WHAT YOU ARE TO DO THERE. YOU ARE A SOLDIER AND YOU WILL FOLLOW ORDERS, IF NOT YOU WILL BE DEALT WITH ACCORDINGLY!" He shouted, paused and took his seat. Then picked up a gold letter opener, and absently fiddled with it.

"You've seen what happens to soldiers who don't follow orders or talk back to their superiors." He said, still absorbed with his letter opener, then paused.

"They are flogged for the first offence then shot for the second. You've just more than adequately filled the requirements for punishment. But I'm going to overlook that, considering it wasn't to long ago when your superiors turned against you. But one more outburst and trust me you will receive your punishment in full." He warned, sternly.

Katja rose and held her hand out for the paper. The stoic mask of an obedient soldier covered her rage as she unwillingly accepted the assignment.

Duke Dermail looked up at her with her hand out-stretched.

"Are you saying you accept?" asked Duke Dermail mockingly.

"Yes, sir. I accept the babysitting job, sir." Responded Katja short and seriously.

He handed her the paper.

"Dismissed." He snapped.

Katja saluted, turned on her heel and walked to the door.

"Oh! And Lieutenant!" called Duke Dermail.

Katja paused as she reached for the doorknob and turned to face him again.

"I hope, for your sake, no harm comes to him." He said mockingly.

Katja's eyes narrowed in disgust. Then she turned to the door and left.

"You've been issued a vehicle. You are to drive and or accompany Mr. Kushrenada where ever he goes," said an older soldier as they both walked up to the mansion.

Katja followed the older man into the main hallway.

"Yadda, yadda, yadda. Why don't you leave me the keys and I'll figure it out with Trez," snapped Katja.

The man turned around and sneered at her disobedience, and held the keys dangling just over her head.

Katja returned the glare and held her hand out at approximately her waist.

"Humph. Just because you outrank me doesn't mean that you don't show me respect," he snapped, dropped the keys into her hand, and walked away.

"Master Trez is in the drawing room. Find it yourself," he called as he walked towards the door.

Katja waited until the doors closed behind him, then turned and went to look for Trez.

She walked down the main hall.

The clumping of her boots, on the polished wood floor was the only sound, in what seemed like a deserted house.

The eloquently wood-paneled walls were adorned with enormous portraits of the previous owner's family. The gorgeous antiques that fashionably lined the walls, reminded her of her home before the war.

At the end of the hall, approximately ten feet away, were a pair of sliding doors, which were cracked slightly to allow a pillar of light to shine through; the only sign of life.

Katja froze at the sight of the doors.

This place is too familiar, she thought as she began to panic.

"Trez?" she called from where she was standing.

One of the doors slid open and the figure of a man filled the gap.

"Come in, Lieutenant Kizer. I've been expecting you," Said Trez in his usual calm, cool manner.

Still a little taken back by the familiarity of the hall, Katja slowly walked through the doors.

The room had the same paneling as the hallway. One giant window took up one wall. The window showed that night had fallen.

In front of the window was a large wooden desk with small stacks of papers neatly situated upon it along with a tray of tea.

The rest of the room was lavishly accommodated with French couches, and antique chairs. A red and gold Turkish rug, surrounded by most of the chairs, was in the center of the room.

"Why don't you take a seat," Offered Trez once she was in the room.

Katja accepted the offer and sat down gently in an antique pulpit's chair, which was upholstered in fine red embroidered cloth.

Trez walked around where she was sitting and took a seat across the rug on another pulpit's chair.

"Does this place look familiar?" he asked.

Katja didn't reply but remained silent and kept a stoic look upon her face. She looked around the room, amazed at how much it did remind her of her beloved home in Aurora.

"I've heard that you once lived in a home just like this," He continued, ignoring the fact that she obviously wasn't in the mood to talk.

"In fact I remember visiting your home once, when you were still very young."

Katja's head snapped forward to face him. The stone look gone, replaced by one of confusion and interest.

Satisfied with her attention, he continued.

"Yes, I do believe you adjourned that meeting for your father," He paused, rose and walked to a tray of tea that was on his desk and began to serve two cups.

"High ranking members of the Alliance were meeting that night. And we were talking about what to do if a war ever broke out," He smiled as he turned with two teacups, balancing nicely on saucers, in his hands, and brought one to her. She took it and held it in her lap like a refined lady, but didn't drink of it.

He walked back to his chair and continued. "You were dressed in a white flannel nightgown and told your father that you weren't feeling well. With that he adjourned the meeting and we filed out of the room. That was the last I saw of your father."

There was a long pause between them. While Trez enjoyed his cup of tea, Katja just held it in her lap; it began to shake along with her hands.

Not being able to stand the silence or being in the same room as him anymore, Katja rose quickly and placed her teacup on an end table without spilling a drop.

"Mr. Trez, I'm here to protect you, not to chat about my past. Now if you please, I'm going to find a bedroom and am turning in for the night."

Katja turned and walked out the door. Trez didn't say a word just let her go.

Katja had found a room on the second floor, dropped her bag near the bed and fell upon it.

Although physically comfortable, her mind raced through the happenings of that night, when she was rushed to the hospital. She tried to remember seeing Trez in the room with all of the other diplomats, but it never came.

So she sat up and walked towards the adjacent bathroom. She took off her clothes and turned on the water. As she removed her pants she stopped and looked at the nauseating black and blue bruises on her shins, and remembered the accident on the L3 colony. And Duo, at her bedside, holding her hand. She smiled at the thought of him. Then continued to undress.

The feeling of having the dust of the circus removed from her hair, and her body, revived her. She put on the same sweatpants and t-shirt that she did at the circus, and went to wander around the mansion.

Lets see how much like my old home this place is, thought Katja as she exited her room, her hair still dripping wet and bare footed.

She walked through the entire house. The floor plan was similar to that of her childhood home. Every once and awhile she would pause at the opening of a hallway, and looking down it, saw scenes from her childhood. The memories would fade in and out like passing spirits, and she would move on.

It was very late when she reached her room. On the door was a note.

We leave tomorrow at 8:00am. Be ready.

p -Trez

She jerked it off the door and walked in and went to bed. Strangely she felt quite at ease in this house, and was able to have the best night's sleep since her parent's death, four and a half years ago.

The next morning, Katja was up and standing against the four door, hunter green Chevy Blazer, before eight o'clock.

Trez walked out of the front doors still buttoning up one of his cuffs. He walked directly to the Blazer and got in himself.

Katja got in on the driver's side and they were off.

"So where are we going?" asked Katja as they neared the end of the long driveway.

"Just around. You choose which direction." He responded from the backseat.

At the end of the driveway Katja turned right. After that she would randomly choose which direction to go in.

About fifteen minutes into the drive, Trez started up a conversation.

"So who do you have to meet in the forest, tonight?" he asked as if it was a common question.

Katja's head snapped up and she looked in the rearview mirror at him.

"What are you talking about?" she asked even though she knew exactly what he was talking about.

Trez unfolded a small piece of paper and read. "Katja meet us at the clearing in the forest nearby. We come bearing gifts."

They had come to a stop sign. Katja whipped it into park and turned in her seat to face him.

Trez sat there like a statue. His hand containing the note held up, offering her to take it.

Katja snatched it from him and put it in her pocket, as she turned back around in her seat. She didn't reply as a cautious measure. Her hand itched to reach for her side arm and pull the trigger. To seek the revenge her primitive mind demanded.

But instead they sat there in silence.

"I know that you hold me in contempt for ordering the murder of your parents. But know that I also want to help you get out of Oz," He said calmly from the backseat.

Katja paused, staring at the staring wheel blankly.

She put the truck back into drive and looked in the rearview mirror at him.

"Keep talking," She ordered sternly, accepting the offer of possible freedom.

About two hours later they had reached the mouth to the driveway.

Their plan set. Tomorrow Katja would go out on a permanent errand in the blazer.

"Tonight's top story. It is believed that an Oz soldier, identified as Lieutenant Katja Kizer, was killed in a five-car pile up, which occurred earlier today.

The vehicle she was driving seemed to have malfunctioned and she was not able to stop in time before running a red light of a busy local intersection.

Upon impact the vehicle she was driving burst into flames. Sadly, the body of the driver was affirmatively identified as Lieutenant Kizer by her dental records.

Friends of Miss Kizer praised her as a perfect soldier, very obedient and determined to protect the people of earth. She will be missed by many."

"Click" the radio was turned off.

Only the hum of the motor and sound of the wind filled the cabin.

She smiled as she drove around a curve, thinking of Trez's words. 'A body stolen from a near by morgue claimed to be you, placed in a white car, that would be rolled into on coming traffic. By the time the body would be claimed, the real you would have driven to the meeting point and begin new, free of Oz forever.'

Thanks Trez, she thought as she exited the city limits.


	6. A New Begining

**A NEW BEGINING**

The Blazer pulled up to the edge of a forest. Katja jumped out, grabbed her bag, locked the doors and began her trek into the woods. Every once and a while she looked at her watch that had a compass that would blink the direction she had to go like a homing device.

About fifteen minutes later she had arrived at a beautiful clearing near a river.

The river was fed by a waterfall, which was about as tall as a small office building. Everything was lush and green. And standing out like a sore thumb was a large black bulletproof box, sitting in front of a tree near the river.

Katja walked over to investigate but was relieved when, on top of the box, she read the symbols, font face"Symbol" OO6 Katja /font It was her name in Greek symbols.

Katja typed her code into the keypad on the side of the box and opened the lid.

When the lid was fully opened it revealed a computer screen with a prerecorded technical information and video of Professor G, who spoke to her.

"Katja, we've finally equipped you properly," joked the recording.

"The Gundam Guardian Angel is hidden with in the cave behind the falls. Be cautious when piloting it. The cockpit system, called The Mercy System, is stronger then the Zero System. But I believe Dr. J has cured you of any fears you had for that system," Professor G chuckled then continued.

"In the box are some tools and supplies you will need.

"Be careful and good luck."

The screen went blank.

Katja, not caring at that moment what was in the box, closed the lid and began to climb a rocky path that lead behind the falls.

She slipped behind the water to the opening of a deep cave. The light from outside shone in far enough that she could see something further ahead.

Cautiously she made her way back to it.

When she arrived in front of it she couldn't make out what it was, except that it defiantly wasn't a stalactite.

Katja reached for her keys, where she kept a small flashlight.

She squeezed the flashlight and pointed the beam up towards the ceiling.

The small circle of light fell upon the head of a Gundam.

With a sigh, Katja identified it as the Gundam Deathscyth Hell.

"Duo, what are you doing here?" said Katja quietly to herself, turned to the right and continued to walk further into the cave.

Just as she approached the left arm of the Gundam, it rose and the thermal beam on the buster shield came on merely inches in front of her.

"HOLY GOD!" she shouted in surprise as she jumped back with her hand over her heart.

Still stunned at her brush with death, she regained her composure and glared up at the machine she didn't hear as someone come up behind her. She took a step back to look up into the cockpit. She felt the barrel of a gun jab her in the back.

Her first reflex was to step forward, but a hand fell upon her shoulder and held her in place, the gun pushed further into her back.

Katja again tried to move, but the hand squeezed tightly against a pressure point, and a tired, husky voice spoke near her right ear.

"Don't move," hissed the voice.

Following orders, she froze. Then recognizing the voice, she took a chance and turned to face Duo.

She moved fast enough that, due to her black clothing, he couldn't tell what was a shadow, and what was her.

The serious, yet evil, look on his face melted away to slack-jawed awe when he realized it was her.

Katja just smiled at him and he snapped out of his standing coma and started yelling.

"What the heck are you doing here?" he exclaimed.

"Turn off your mechanical pit bull and I'll tell you as I go," said Katja, referring to the Deathscyth.

Duo climbed back up into the cockpit and shut off the buster shield. He then came back down to find Katja gone.

"Damn it! Where'd ya go?" he shouted.

He heard a female laugh and saw a faint glow further down into the cave. Figuring it was Katja, he ran after it.

As the light got brighter he found himself in an enormous cavern. And in the center, there was a Gundam that looked like a doll from his vantage point.

At the foot of the gundam was the source of the light.

Katja was standing on a small boulder staring up at the Gundam with a thermal flare in her hand.

Duo started the rocky climb down from the tunnel opening and made his way towards Katja.

A few moments later he joined Katja on the boulder.

"What took you so long?" asked Katja jokingly, as she turned to face him.

Duo just gave her an agitated look and was cut short from speaking when a gleam of light that bounced off the Gundam, caught his eye. And he realized why she was staring at it.

The overall color of the Gundam was a smoky gray and silver. Yet it closely resembled his new Deathscyth, but also the other four Gundams as well.

He could identify the stealth components that dotted the immaculate machine.

It was amazingly armed to the teeth, yet it concealed it well, much like the pilot, did with her strength.

Duo stepped off the boulder to take a look at it from afar.

Everything about it was ever so slightly smaller in scale then the other Gundams. Truly what he thought a girl's Gundam would look like. It was built to be nimble and quick, yet strong as an ox, again much like the pilot.

It had the same type of "wings" as the Deathscyth Hell and a staff strapped to its back, but its left arm was made like the "Dragon" arm of the Altron.

Along with the buster rifle, strapped to the back as well, attached to the right arm in the same fashion as his buster shields in that he could still use the hand, was a combination shield and gattling gun.

What was most impressive was the different concealed compartments all over the machine, which he knew contained explosives and other neat toys.

All together it was a very intimidating machine, even when it wasn't being operated.

Kajta, who was still on the boulder, got tired of waiting for him, dropped the flare on the boulder and crawled up underneath the wings.

Awquardly backwards, she climbed a built-in ladder to the cockpit.

She hooked her left arm around a rung, reached over to a keypad and typed in her number. _006KATJA _

The doors opened slightly, with the hissing of the air locks, but couldn't open fully due to the wings being in a locked position. Katja reached with her left foot over to the small opening and slid her way through the crack.

She got nearly all of her body through when her right foot got caught in the crack. She slid her leg up to where the crack was a little wider and pulled her foot through. As she did so, Katja lost her balance and fell into the control chair. Upon dropping into the chair, the gates closed and a dim light came on. Katja typed in her number again, there was a slight pause, then the main computer came on and all of the screens came to life with pictures of her surroundings and Duo in the center screen.

p On the screen the words _Hallo Katja. Wie Gehts_ came up. Pleasantly surprised to see the machine communicating in her native language, German, she responded by typing in her startup commands in German. Once downloaded into the computer, Katja placed her hands on the control sticks.

Outside Duo was still looking over the Gundam when the eyes flared to life in an eerie deep blue color and the wings unlocked and spread.

Startled by the sudden movement, Duo ran a good distance away from it and stopped to watch it move from a safer vantage point.

Inside Katja saw Duo on her screen and walked the Gundam over to him. The gates opened and she stepped out.

"So what do you think?" she asked like a guy showing off his hot rod.

Duo smiled and took a sigh of relief when he saw that is was her piloting, and not the Gundam moving on it's own.

"It'll do, I guess," he responded jokingly.

Katja smiled at him, then went back to the cockpit and shut it down.

translation - "Hello, Katja How are you"


	7. Friendship Rekindled

**FRIENDSHIP REKINDLED**

It was near nightfall when the two pilots emerged from the cave and out from behind the falls.

They both paused and looked off into the distance from a ledge at the top of the trail.

"Dang, that sure is pretty," said Duo absently. "I wonder what country is off in that direction."

Katja felt a sudden lurch in her stomach. She knew but didn't answer.

Duo turned his gaze away from the horizon and looked to her for an answer.

Realizing that she was being watched Katja turned away from him and started down the trail.

Duo stood there a while longer then followed Katja down the trail.

When he reached the bottom, he found Katja sitting cross-legged with her elbows on her knees and chin in her hands on the box by the river, waiting for him. A scowl replaced her happy demeanor from a few minutes ago.

p Duo, who knew from experience, didn't want to get her mad or she'd pull a gun out and shoot him without a second thought. She had had a rough life and a lot of times when they were growing up, he heard about it or felt it when he pissed her off, so he quietly took a seat by the tree and relaxed.

"So what are your plans now?" asked Duo cautiously, trying to change her mood.

Katja didn't answer, but continued to ignore him as she just glared off into the water.

A few minutes passed. Katja gave a sigh and got down from her perch.

"I've got to get some stuff from the truck," she stated bluntly, then looked down to see Duo looking up at her in curious confusion.

"Do you want to help?" she asked, still stone-faced and stern.

Duo shrugged, hopped up and followed behind her.

"Where did you get the truck?" asked Duo as they approached it.

"It's the result of a deal with someone," answered Katja as she opened the tailgate.

Duo paused for a second, worried that she might have sold out to someone, but then shrugged it off and climbed in the back and pushed two narrow rectangular, wooden crates to the edge of the tailgate.

Duo stopped and looked at them curiously. When Katja wasn't paying attention, he worked his fingers under the lid and pulled it open.

Inside, packed with straw, were a variety of automatic and semi-automatic weapons, plenty of magazines and a bundle of thermal flairs.

Duo scanned his eyes over the weapons like a child looking though the glass window of a candy store.

"Hey nosy," said Katja, who was leaning against the car near the opening, her mood obviously different.

Duo's head snapped up in surprise and he gave a sheepish grin.

"You need two crates?" he asked, trying to deter her attention from his opening of the crates without her permission.

Katja smiled and explained while helping him get the lid back on.

"Well a girl can never be too prepared. Besides I was planning on distributing some of these weapons to you guys when I saw you."

Duo hopped out of the back end and they both took an end of the first crate and carried it to the river. After they got the second crate to the bank of the river. Duo and Katja both sat down hard onto the ground.

"So is there any food in those things or are we going to be eating wood tonight?" asked Duo after his stomach gave a loud protest.

Katja got up, opened the second crate, pulled out two boxes of military rations and tossed one at him.

Duo caught it and started laughing.

Man, you are always prepared. How many do you have in there?" he asked while he went through his own box.

"I have four more and you are only getting one," said Katja in response as she turned from putting the lid back on the crate and sat down across from him.

"Well I guess I¡ll go get some wood for a fire so we can have some light to eat by," said Duo as he got up to go collect firewood.

"I'll help you," said Katja as she began to get up.

"No, you stay here and check if you've got some matches in the box over there," said Duo sternly, referring to the black box with the lock on it.

Katja complied and walked over to the box, picked it up and carried it over to where she was sitting.

She unlocked it again and opened it. The message started to come on again and she just turned off the monitor, then she began to dig through the contents.

Like Professor G had said, there were a few weapons in there. And two boxes, each about a foot squared, at the bottom. Curious, Katja pulled one out and opened it. Inside were some rations, a first aid kit and matches. She set that box aside and retrieved the other one from the bottom.

This one was cool to the touch and had another lock on it. So Katja typed in her code again and opened it. Smoke billowed out from underneath the lid. Katja opened it further to see at least eight-dozen syringes for her medication surrounded by dry ice. She closed it so the contents would stay cold, placed the small lock box back into the larger one, and locked it. So Duo wouldn't see it.

A few minutes later, Duo emerged from the forest with a bundle of wood in his arms. He dropped it in front of her, knelt down and started to build a fire.

"Did you find some matches?" he asked as he finished breaking up sticks for kindling.

"Yep," said Katja triumphantly as she handed him the book of matches.

It only took one match and the wood caught fire. After a while they had a small campfire going and they started to eat their rations in silence.

"So why were you hiding in the cave?" asked Katja with her eyes focused on the packaged food in her hand.

Duo looked up from his meal and answered. "I got a note from Professor G telling me to guard the cave until you came."

Katja looked up at him and their eyes remained locked together for a few minutes. Both just content to have the other's presence.

"POP!"

Both of them jumped at the sound to the exploding pinesap and came back to reality. They both started to laugh hysterically for a few moments.

Then they both settled down and were staring off in to separate directions, both in a daze.

"Feels like when we were younger, doesn¡t it?" asked Duo as he broke from his trance to look in Katja¡s direction.

Katja didn't reply. The smile dissolved from her face as she went deeper into the trance. Then the words spoken triggered her mind to switch back to reality. She blinked a couple times and looked at Duo, returning his cheerful smile with a weak replica of what just graced her face.

"Yeah, we did this often didn't we?" she asked mockingly.

"Sat around a campfire eating military rations in the middle of a war," she continued with a sting of serious contempt in her voice.

Duo again became serious.

"Are you okay Katja?" he asked directly.

"You know you can tell me. Just like you used to," seeing that she wasn't going to respond any time soon, he lowered his gaze to his hands and started to remember how he had basically adopted her as a sister when they were younger.

Katja was nine-years-old when they first met; Duo, a half-year older.

She was in a sever state of grief for her age; she hid it well behind a mask of quiet obedience and recklessness.

She had been on prior missions but wouldn¡t specify what they were. During one failed mission she almost took her own life, at least that is what he assumed from the scars on her wrists.

From the time they met, Duo took her under his wing, always by her side, and protecting her from any sort of verbal abuse. He even became furious when she was subject to intense training that was hard even for him to complete. She would never complain, though, but would always face the challenge with high intensity and reckless abandon, as if she had a personal grudge with the exercise.

About a year after they had met, he found her in the cockpit of his, still being built, Deathscyth, sobbing her eyes out. Immediately she tried to cover it up but after a few provoking questions the story came out. Oz had murdered her parents two years past. That was the source of her grief as well as her intensity and was the main reason she was so quiet. She didn¡t know how to handle the grief, so she became a silent warrior. Letting the grief eat her away from the inside out, to the point that all he saw then was a shell of what she used to be.

After they both let their guard down, Katja and Duo became inseparable. They each seemed to have a job to fulfill to the other. Katja to keep Duo on task and to push him to do his best and Duo to make her laugh every once and a while. Both acted as sounding boards for each other. Sometimes Duo would feel more of what was bothering Katja then hear it because he would volunteer to be a punching bag for her frustrations. The best alternative to her breaking a hand punching a wall. Katja would try to do the same but he could never bring himself to hit her no matter how much she provoked it. He'd rather punch the wall.

Remembering all this, Duo didn't seem to notice the long pause between them. She was answering with her silence, and turning her face away from him.

Duo opened his mouth to ask a question but was halted.

"Don't start with the interrogation," said Katja bluntly as she turned back to face him. "I've gotten better at going through interrogations and I don't feel like it. Besides, you know very well I won't tell you." she finished sharply.

"Why should now be different then back then? You told me once why not now?" he asked, becoming a little agitated with the constant cold shoulder he had been getting. He sat a little higher, getting ready for a vicious argument, but Katja again looked away and remained silent.

Duo sighed, shrugged his shoulders and finished his rations. Katja did the same, as she knew that he wouldn¡t press the subject, at least for now.

They had been silent for about an hour. Duo, every once and a while, got up to get some more wood while Katja went through the black lock box more thoroughly checking the weapons and making sure that everything was in place. When a cold gust of air blew its way across the river. They both shivered as the cold air went through their cloths.

That single gust of air caused Katja¡s jaw to start chattering. Noticing this, Duo walked over and offered her his jacket.

"N-No thanks. I'm f-fine," she replied through her jittering teeth.

Duo shrugged and tossed the jacked on the ground beside her. Just in case she wanted it. Duo had sat back down in from to a tree and returned to watching the flames dance in silence. Then Katja started a conversation.

"I th-thought that it was alw-ways warmer by the w-water," said Katja.

"Not necessarily. Sometimes it's a lot colder. It's probably the falls that is causing it to get really cold," answered Duo with a smile.

Katja nodded, understanding what he was saying.

"Aren't you cold?" she asked, sounding like a little girl.

"I'll be fine. I don't get cold easily," he answered with confidence.

Katja smiled at his response, and went back to her work.

A few minutes later Katja closed up the lock box and curled up on the ground beside it after she gently placed Duo's jacket on top of it.

Duo sat across from the fire with his back against a tree, gazing across at Katja.

She's just like a cat. She can curl up anywhere and fall asleep, he thought to himself.

While looking at her, he noticed she was still shivering. So he got up, walked across to where Katja was laying, and covered her up with his jacket. Almost instantly her shivering stopped, but she didn't wake up.

Feeling a little better, Duo walked back to his seat by the tree, and went to sleep.

In the middle of the night Katja had woken up shaking again, the fire was out and she found Duo curled up by the tree, shaking like a leaf in the breeze. Katja smiled, got up and walked over and sat down beside him, draping his jacket over the both of them, resting her head on his right shoulder.

The sudden sensation of warmth and touch woke him up. Duo moved a little trying to figure out what was going on. Katja lifted her head from his shoulder.

"Don't get cold easily, huh?" she said mockingly.

Drowsily Duo smiled, reached his right arm up and around so he could hold her close. Katja shifted her head to rest on his chest. And there they slept until dawn.


	8. Return to the Battlefield

**RETURN TO THE BATTLE FIELD**

Duo rose with the sunrise the next morning with his arms wrapped around Katja, holding her tight as if someone would take her away in his dreams.

At first confused by her presence, he almost woke her, but caught himself when his mind finally cleared the drowsy cobwebs of sleep.

Instead, he lifted Katja off of his chest and carefully, like placing a sleeping newborn in its crib, he laid her to rest on the ground where he just sat.

While she slept he built up the fire, had some breakfast, sat down, pulled out Katja's journal from his back pocket and began to read.

Of the few personal excerpts she wrote she never put the date in but her words painted such a vivid picture hat you knew the approximate time. A few excerpts he had read so far had spoke of unbreakable sorrow and a bit about the daily happenings. Most of the pages were covered with song lyrics, poems, pictures, pressed flowers glued in place, sketches and the scribbles of free associate writing.

As he read through he realized that, like himself, Katja had never really opened up, but rather placed an appropriate mask over her pain hiding within.

With that though, he automatically turned the page to reveal a poem. He looked down at it mildly surprised by its appearance and read.

_Savior_

Everyone bears one, everyone wears one.

Mine is always in place.

It's my protector, my guardian from reality.

It helps me to be safe from all the things that want to hurt me.

All the things that are inside of me tearing and prying, trying to escape, when I wear it

it helps me keep them in place.

No one knows the real me, the one I hide or should say hides deep with in

me.

There it is kept safe, no one can hurt it and it can't hurt anyone.

For if it was to climb out from within myself, I wouldn¡t know what to expect.

I have never let it that far.

I know it tries so hard to get free, the real me that hides so cowardly.

It climbs the low walls, inside of me, but can never surpass the one thing that /p p protects me.

This thing inside of me takes a toll on my body, and especially my mind.

It taunts me, teases me, but I am strong.

I won't be weak, won't allow any one to know the real me.

For no one will ever hurt me again, no more crying, no more trying, no one /p p will ever hurt me.

If I keep my protector in place, no one will ever see my true face.

Because I hide, hide behind my guardian, my savior, my mask.

A different one everyday, the strongest one leads the way.

Always there for me, it will never leave me for now it is a part of me, it makes /p p me whole and helps me to keep everything in place.

My mask, my savior, my mask.

"So much suffering, so much pain, all bottled up," he mumbled to himself.

He read on for a few more pages, then he heard Katja stir.

She sat up rubbing the stardust from her eyes.

_Even when she first gets up in the morning she's beautiful. How does she do it_ thought Duo with a little sarcasm.

Finally fully awake, Katja stood and began to stretch, then with out a word to Duo, walked over to the river and splashed some water in her face.

When she got back Duo had a hot plate of rations waiting for her.

Without a word she gave him a smile of gratitude, sat down and began to eat.

"Sleep well?" he asked while watching her eat finically.

"Pretty good. One of the better nights in he last four years." she answered with a somewhat reluctant smile. After she spoke she wrinkled her nose at the food, stopped eating, stood and started to pick up some of her stuff, leaving the food there.

Damn she must have lost her appetite, "You weren't cold?" he asked as he eyed the plate then looked to her with a mischievous smile.

Katja turned suddenly at the question. He had never been so forward before, but she shrugged it off and smiled back, her expression much softer then before.

"I've got to change. I'll be back in a few." she replied as she gathered her black backpack and walked down the path towards the waterfall.

Duo had gotten the response. He liked the extra heat, too. He looked to the river.

It had been a long time since a person would come near me without fear of death or injury, but Katja would never be that way, he smiled at the last thought.

The two of them always had a non-verbal communication between them. Both had glass faces. Their emotions and thoughts could be read very easily, especially by each other, but he had built a mask to hide himself, as did Katja. She had her mask long before they had met, but he could always see the person behind it. No matter the mask, Duo only had to look at her eyes to know the truth, those large deep sapphire eyes like gems imbedded in a ring with long black lashes that trimmed them like a seamstress would trim with lace. He never forgot her eyes, he never would forget.

A sudden chill ran down his spine.

_She's been gone quite a while_ he thought as he looked around the camp.

Feeling anxious, he got up and went looking for her.

It didn't take long; he walked down near the falls and found a pile of clothes near the edge of a small pool of nearly calm water, surrounded by thick lush bushes.

_Perfect cover_ he thought as his eyes scanned the water for her.

Then up from the churning abyss further out, rose Katja's head. Submerging in a full body kick, like a mermaid then reappearing a little closer each time.

As she reached closer to shore the water line sank inch by inch, until finally he couldn't stand the thought of spying on her while she was this vulnerable.

Of course that was just a thought, his body didn't agree with, so he remained, watching intently.

Then suddenly she stood and turned so fast that in the glare of the morning light he couldn't see her. Then, when his eyes adjusted, the sight of her naked shoulders and back finally got a response from his body. And he, himself, jumped from the bushes and ran back to the camp a little embarrassed and afraid that she had seen him. Duo just tried to relax near the fire and expel his mental picture of her naked in the water from his mind.

Katja walked up a few minutes later dressed in black cargo pants, black tank top, and white short-sleeved button up shirt. She was bare foot with soaking wet hair pulled up in a ponytail, carrying her boots and socks and backpack.

She sat down in front of the tree where they had slept and put her socks and boots back on, not saying a word, but with a knowing smirk that kept Duo from asking where she had gone.

Duo remained quite and poked at the fire with a stick, trying his hardest to not make eye contact.

Katja knew he was there, she had heard him run away, but didn't mention anything. She could see that he was obviously embarrassed. When she was done tying her boots she stood and picked up her bag.

I've got to do some work on the truck," she said with indifference.

Expecting her to say something else, Duo automatically cringed, expecting a tongue lashing, but quickly covered that up with a fake shiver and replied. "Okay, I'll be here if you need help."

Katja noticed, but just turned and walked away.

She went to her truck and emptied it of her possessions and some things that would come in handy, and stuffed them into a black backpack.

"So what ya taken'?" asked Duo as he walked up to the truck from the river.

Being overly curious he had followed her a few minutes after she left.

"Just some things that will be useful," replied Katja, who was lying underneath the truck, fiddling with something.

"What are you doing?" asked Duo as he knelt down to look under the truck.

"I'm setting plastic explosives on the under carriage and around the gas tank and engine so it will make a big explosion. Could you pass me a starter cap, please?" replied Katja absently.

Obeying her request Duo handed her the starter cap, and looked at the half of her body not covered by the truck confused and in a way that makes on reevaluate the others sanity.

Katja took the cap, placed it and then crawled out.

She remained seated and leaned up against the car. Duo was kneeling beside her, the confused look still on his face.

Katja looked at him with cocky knowledge of her plans, then smiled at him and explained. "First, I have no need for it. Second, I want to remind some one of a mistake," she replied.

The look of confusion melted off of his face to reveal a sinister smile that spread from his mouth to his eyes. He understood what was going on.

"So, do you want me to drive?" he asked.

Katja edged closer to him, an evil smile spread from her lips and lit up her eyes. "And miss all the fun? I don't think so."


	9. Rude Awakening

**RUDE AWAKENING**

"Not only do you have plenty of food and weapons, but you also have quite an eclectic music selection!" mocked Duo with a chuckle as he flipped though a large case of CD's Katja had pulled out of the truck, while sitting with his feet dangling over the edge of the gate of her Gundam. Meanwhile Katja struggled as she tried to stow her lock box behind the chair in the cockpit.

The cave was echoing with oldies like Lead Zeppelin, The Doors, Smashing Pumpkins, and Metallica, and with Katja so involved with her lock box that she did not hear Duo's comment. The Guardian Angel was equipped with a three CD changer/burner and speakers that poured out the sound as smooth as water.

"There," said Katja with a sigh of relief from inside the cockpit. "I didn't realize that box was so awkward," she finished as she dropped down next to him, then looked over his arm to see where he had stopped.

Seeing something that she wanted for later use, Katja reached over and pulled out a white CD that had "Godsmack Alive VS" written on it in her chicken scratch.

Duo looked up at her intrusion.

"What's that?" he asked as his eyes followed the disc travel from the page to a CD case, she had pulled from her back pocket, in her other hand.

Katja's eyes glanced upward from the CD to Duo and smiled.

"I'd better get going," she said as she made to get up, CD still in hand.

Duo placed his hand on top of hers and squeezed lightly. Katja paused in her movements and looked back at Duo. Their eyes met and stayed together.

"Be careful," he said, the worried look in his eyes matched the tone in his voice.

The corner of her mouth rose ever so slightly and her eyes softened. She leaned forward, lightly kissed him on the cheek, and then sat back again. "Don't worry about me," she nearly whispered with her face a few inched from his. She then got up and went to the cockpit, leaving Duo slightly stunned.

She's never done that before, he thought as he looked at her puzzled. Of course neither have I, he snickered with at the thought of the way he let his mask of indifference fall to reveal to her how he really felt. Duo shrugged his shoulders, and feeling a little lighter in the heart he hopped up with the case of disks and handed them to Katja before she sat down in the control chair. After she took the case, Duo stood in the doorway, watching her get things situated. Her hands seemed to have minds of their own as they traveled around the cockpit to the different buttons and controls with a grace that only comes form a long time of familiarity.

She was born to be a pilot, he thought as he watched her.

Katja rose out of the chair and made to get out of the cockpit. Duo graciously moved out of the way and let her out.

Katja walked over to the edge of the gait.

"Going down?" she asked a she pulled down the handle to a tether.

He stepped forward and took the handle from her in response. Then wrapped his arm around her waist, she his neck, they both jumped off the edge of the gait, and glided to the ground.

They held on for a second once they hit the ground but let go of each other slowly, as if in a trance. Once her arms were free, Katja pulled out a remote that resembled a car alarm remote, and with the push of a button the gate closed.

"I've got to get myself one of those," joked Duo.

They both chuckled and walked out of the cave to the truck.

There Katja plugged the laptop into a cigarette lighter plug and turned it on.

"TRANSMISSION COMMENCING" read the screen.

Neither of them spoke. Katja patiently waited for the computer to give the next command and Duo watched intently.

"PLEASE INSERT DISK"

Katja pulled out the disk she took from the CD case and put it in the drive.

As the computer began to read the disk you could hear the eerie mix of a child's toy piano and the fading in of drums followed by the faint vocal wailing of a woman.

"VIRUS LOADED AND IS BEING TRANSMITTED" read the screen.

Katja sat in the driver's seat still and silent, listening to the music. Then the song suddenly stopped and changed to another, which started out strong and shocking.

"ENTER MESSAGE."

Katja straightened up and began to type fast and feverishly, then with the snap of the return key she was finished and the message was on its way.

"Master Trez, a message for you," informed the guard.

"Thank you," answered Trez calmly.

He sat at his computer in the same room where he and Katja ha their discussion, and hit the receive button on his keyboard.

The music of the second song blared on his computer and throughout the mansion on every speaker.

"Wait another minute.

Can't you see what this pain has fucking done to me?

I'm alive and still kickin'.

What you see I can't see…

and maybe you'll think before you speak.

I'm alive for you.

I'm awake because of you.

I'm alive I told you.

I'm awake swallowing you…"

He tried to turn down the volume but the controls wouldn't respond.

After that failed a message popped up on the screen.

"LISTEN TO THE SONG TREZ, AND REMEMBER: I'M STILL OUT HERE AND I STILL HUNGER FOR REVENGE. JUST BECAUSE YOU HELPED ME ESCAPE DOESN'T MEAN I'VE BURIED THE HATCHET. I'M COMING FOR YOU, TREZ. THERE IS NO WHERE TO RUN AND NOTHING TO STOP ME."

The song continued, he knew exactly who had sent the message. Trez jumped from his chair and rushed to the door where a guard waited with his hands over his ears.

"Double the guards at the wall! Let nothing through!" he shouted to the guard. He was barely heard over the music. He then rushed to the security control room.

"Watch for any vehicle that could be used to enter the grounds," he shouted at the officer.

"Yes, sir!" the officer shouted back.

Katja was well on her way, flying down the road in the truck covered with explosives.

She had waited for Duo to take off for space in his Gundam. Then left to remind some one of the dangerous consequences they could meet for their mistake. She reached over and tapped a few keys.

'Hope they didn't want their eardrums,' she thought as she raised the volume by twenty decibels. The music was already too loud to bear at the mansion and the people inside couldn't get out because of a malfunction in their door locks.

Katja smiled at the thought of the soldiers running around like frightened ants, trying to stop the music or escape.

She was within sight of the grounds. She checked to make sure the transmission was still hidden. It was. As an added surprise Katja adjusted the program, then aimed the truck at the ten-foot cast-iron gates, which, with the help of her program, were wide open.

She turned on the cruise control and rigged the steering wheel so it wouldn't turn off the straightaway, unplugged the laptop, opened the door and waited. Ten feet from the gate she jumped out of the door, laptop in hand.

The music was unbearable. Grown men were crying with agony from the noise.

Trez had gone to the back of the mansion to the kitchen, the only place with few speakers. He had sat down at the breakfast table and tried to think what would happen, when the music suddenly stopped.

Surprised, he jumped up and looked out into the hall.

There was a sudden crash in the front of the house, then the sound of a great explosion that blew him back in to the kitchen and out a nearby window.

Katja had watched the roof get blown off the front half of the mansion and then casually walked away a little dusty.

"That will teach you to kill members of my family, Trez," She said as she turned back to the fiery rubble that she had caused. She then turned and disappeared into the woods.


	10. All Together

**ALL TOGETHER**

"Wow I can't believe that the war has escalated so far that Zechs would destroy the Earth," said Quatre.

He, Duo and Trowa were sitting in the Café on the space ship Peace Million. The boys had just come from the control room of the massive ship and were taking a much-needed break.

"Well I guess that goes to show you that you can never predict how extreme the extremists will go," said Quatre as he gazed down at his hands.

"I think that's why they call them extremists, Quatre," said Duo as he took a slurp of soda and leaned back in his chair.

Trowa remained silent. Still suffering from amnesia, he didn't know what they were talking about.

Quatre fell silent as well and remained staring into the floor in deep thought.

How can we stop them if they have a weapon powerful enough to destroy the world? he shrugged his shoulders and looked up to Duo. "I guess we'll just have to fight through what we can't predict."

"You've got that right," answered Duo, still lounging in his chair.

All three paused for a moment.

"I'm going to get something to eat," said Quatre as he rose and walked to the counter.

As he walked over he started to hear a faint rapid tapping. It seemed to have a rhythm to it but he didn't her music coming from any of the speakers in the ceiling. So he stopped and looked around the room.

The room was about one hundred feet by forty feet, it had a variety of tables and chairs scattered about, along with a couple of couches and a large screened TV at one end. The food counter was situated in the middle of a long section on the wall. And other then the two guys he came in with, the only other person in the room was sitting only a few tables away from him.

Quatre continued to the food counter, assuming that the tapping was coming from her, he ordered a sandwich.

While he waited for his sandwich, Quatre watched the girl, she seemed offly familiar, but he couldn't seem to place where he had met her. Sprawled on the table in front of her were star maps and blueprints of different colonies along with a tall sliver and black cup, CD player, notebook and about twelve different colored pencils. None of this information rang a bell as to whether he knew her or not.

Forgetting why he was waiting, he walked over to her and found that the tapping was nothing but the sound of music escaping from her headphones. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail and she was wearing a white collared shirt and black pants. She was really into her music; it seemed to drive the speed in which she worked.

Nervously, Quatre reached out a hand an tapped her shoulder. At the first sense of being touched the girl whipped around with an exact-o knife in her hand and aimed it a Quatre's throat. Quatre froze, he wasn't expecting an attack. The girl relaxed as she realized who he was. She drew her weapon back and removed her headphones.

"So…what do you want?" asked the girl slightly agitated at being interrupted.

Quatre swallowed a couple times then answered. "Excuse me, miss. But could I have your name?" he asked very politely.

"Lt. Katja Kizer. Why?" answered Katja.

Quatre's eyes grew wide. He knew where he had seen her. She was the same girl from the school in the Canq Kingdom.

"Is there something wrong, Quatre?" she asked in a mildly cocky tone.

Quatre shook his head and relaxed a little more.

"No, I just didn't recognize you, that's all," he answered.

Katja nodded and went back to work. Quatre walked away, got his sandwich and went to sit down with Duo and Trowa, still a little stunned.

"Who was that?" asked Duo.

"Just a girl I know," answered Quatre nonchalantly, secretly enjoying Duo's curiosity.

"Well, what's her name?" inquired Duo, edging closer to the edge of his chair in inquiry.

"Katja Kizer," answered Quatre after taking a bite out of his sandwich.

"What?" said Duo, startled.

Without waiting for Quatre to repeat himself, Duo jumped out of his chair, strode over to where Katja was sitting and tapped her shoulder.

Katja gave a sigh.

"What do you want now, Quatre?" she said as she turned and removed her headphones.

She lifted her eyes to look up past what Quatre's height would have been and found Duo's smiling face.

"So what took you so long?" asked Katja in half jest with a lopsided grin.

Duo leaned his hip on the table and answered.

"You know how those customs guys are. They just like to make ya wait,"

Both of them chuckled.

"Do you want to join us?" asked Duo.

"Sure, if you don't mind," replied Katja.

"Not at all," answered Duo, with a smile that seemed as bright as the sun.

Katja walked over with Duo and sat down next to him at the table.

They had a patchy conversation, jumping from one subject to another, when finally there was no more to say.

"Well…"started Duo.

"Hey Duo! We've got some people we want you to meet up here on the bridge. Bring Quatre, Trowa and Katja, too," interrupted Howard's voice over the speaker.

"Be right up, Howard!" called Duo.

All four of them rose and walked to the bridge.

When they got there they found Heero and Wufei sitting in a pair of chairs.

"…Zero, Altron and Heavyarms will be ship shape in no time," said Howard in the background.

Duo immediately stepped in to bug them.

"Well it's good to see that you two finally caught up with us. We were beginning to think that you had given up," said Duo in a really cocky jest.

The three of them chuckled, while Heero and Wufei both grumbled and walked past.

The six of them went back to the Café and sat down.

"So when will your Gundam be fixed, Wufei?" inquired Quatre.

"Howard said it should be ready for battle by tomorrow," replied Wufei shortly

Katja didn't take any notice of the five of them and walked back to the table with all of her maps and started to study them again. No one seemed to notice for a while, then Heero glanced in her direction, got up and walked over.

"Still studying I see," he said as he leaned up against the table.

Katja wasn't wearing her headphones, and she didn't turn to face him, either.

"Trust me, it's just a habit," she replied, looking up at him on her last word. "Left over from before I met you."

Heero nodded and looked to what she was studying, then looked back at her.

"Are you fighting?" he asked bluntly. He knew that answer, it was obvious.

"Are you?" she answered with a question and looked at him with a light smirk.

Heero looked at her, knowing that his answer would be her own. She like to answer things in riddles, but didn't do it often. Mainly because people wouldn't catch them. Their minds worked alike. When they were children they would have fun just creating conversations using questions. Even back then she would always stump him. The inter-workings of her mind were far more complex then his own. She would always be a step ahead. Just like Zero.

He nodded, got up and left her studying. Shaking his head as he went.

_Studying, studying, always studying. Her father instilled good habits._ Thought Heero as he turned to look back at her, head bent at her work.

_Whether fighting or on the bridge, she'll help, a lot_ He turned back to the other pilots and sat with them until late into the night.


	11. Sacrifice

**SACRIFICE**

At about nine o'clock the next morning the alarm went off signaling that the Libra was advancing toward them. All six of the pilots ran to their Gundams, and took off within minutes.

When they arrived on the scene something over came Katja and she pulled out an old Matallica disk, put it into the CD player and set it to the song "Fade to Black ." Then transferred an auto signal to all of the Gundams.

"Duo, don't advance. I'll take care of them," she ordered.

"What are you crazy? This is your first battle, you can't do it alone!!" Duo shouted.

"Duo just listen to this and stay back. No matter what!" Katja said sternly her face showed no expression.

Once he started to protest Katja terminated the connection, except for the music.

It was a very mournful song starting off with a soft guitar duet. It seemed fitting if she were to die now to have some calming music to begin her exit.

"Life it seems will fade away

Drifting further everyday

Getting lost within myself

Nothing matters no one else

I have lost the will to live

Simply nothing more to give

There is nothing more for me

Need the end to set me free…"

The first mobile doll began to advance and Katja took out her first weapon, the scythe. It was fashioned just like Duo's, but a little special. The mobile dolls would advance and she would cut them down like trees.

Whoever was controlling them wasn't very good, she thought when she got a moment to think.

Katja continued to cut them down. With the help of the Mercy System, which isn't as controlling as the Zero System, but in many ways stronger, Katja found the best rout directly to the Libra. It just happened to be through about one hundred mobile dolls. So she continued to fight, the song blaring in her ears along with alerts from the computer.

Finally Katja was right in front of the Libra. It was an oddly shaped ship. It was four squares that came together at one point in the center. That was where the beam cannon was located. Katja was gearing up to slit it in two when the cannon when off. She dodged it just in time. The beam just missed her.

"This is insane, Katja! Get back here!" screamed Quatre in desperation from a distance.

Katja didn't answer.

"Forget her, I'm going in!" shouted Wufei as he engaged in the battle.

"Main cannon ready to fire, sir!" called the operator of Libra's cannon.

"Fire!" shouted Zechs.

"Katja, Wufei the cannon's charging!" yelled Quatre.

Neither Wufei nor Katja heard him. Both were caught up in the moment, Wufei fighting on pure emotion and Katja flying off the handle with her music.

The cannon went off.

The computer Alerted Katja to it, but she was not in danger. It was Wufei. He was in the direct line of fire.

A line of mobile dolls were in her way. After on upward swipe of her scythe the first mobile doll slit in two. Once the scythe was through the first mobile doll Katja pushed a button causing the pole to fracture near her hand and a beam sward exploded up to fill the vacancy.

Spinning around in what looked like slow motion, she thrust the sword across the next two dolls, and continued to slash her way to Wufei.

After she tore through the last doll, Katja flew full speed to Wufei, crashing into him and shoving him out of the way.

"What are you doing?!" he yelled furiously as he regained control of his Gundam

"My job," Solemnly replied Katja with a face like stone.

Just as Wufei was going to continue to fight with a mobile doll beside her, the beam struck.

Her Gundam rattled and sparks flew from the control pane. Katja grunted and strained with the controls trying to keep from spinning off into space.

"Katja, get out of there, you'll explode!" shouted Duo as his picture came up fuzzy on her screen. Katja forced her facial muscles to create a smile and responded.

"I…can…handle…it…don't…worry…about me… Du…"

Her sentence was interrupted by a sudden bolt of electricity that shot through her body. Then finished with a blood-curdling scream that slowly tapered off as she passed out.

All the while Duo looked on at the picture transmitted on his screen, then it vanished. The transmission was terminated.

The beam sent out by the cannon melted away to reveal her Gundam tattered an worn by abuse, panels of Gundanium were bent and some almost falling off, frayed electrical wires spouted sparks, as the Gundam floated still.

Once the cannon had fired the mobile dolls had stopped and retreated to the battle ship Libra.

"Remember Gundam pilots, I will follow through, "said Zechs, former Oz commander now going by his real name Milliardo Peacecraft, over an open channel on the radio.

But it fell on deaf ears as Trowa and Duo hooked up towing lines to Katja's Gundam and took it back to the Peacemillion.

When they reached the Peacemillion and locked their Gundams in, Trowa was the first to reach Katja in the Guardian Angel. He punched the emergency open button and the gate fell open. A few sparks were spewed from fayed wires hanging in the entryway, but he wasn't in danger.

Right in front of him was Katja. With her head unconsciously tilted forward, and a steady stream of blood running down her face and patches of soot smeared on her cheeks and forehead.

Her hands still grasped the lifeless controls of her Gundam. Trowa first reached in to pull her hands off the controls. But like what often happened to him, her muscles had contracted to hold that position and wouldn't let go. He slowly unfolded her fingers and laid her hands in her lap. Then tried to undo the harness. It wasn't like his, which you just need to push a button and it opens. He couldn't figure out how to get hers undone, and continued to struggle with it.

Duo came up from behind him trying to help. He had a platform, which hovered by the opening, so they had something to lay her on when they got her out.

"I can't get her out, the harness won't open," said Trowa as he tried to pull on the straps to see if the mechanism would release.

"I've got a knife, we'll cut the strap," said Duo as he frantically reached to his boot for his knife.

"Good. Make sure you cut it on the strap," said Trowa as he grasped the harness where the straps came together, and held it away from Katja's body so Duo wouldn't cut her. Both shoulder straps fell limp on her shoulders; Trowa tossed them over the back of her chair out of the way. Before they could slide her out of the leg straps Duo knelt down and pried her right foot out of a shackle the held her to the chair.

"What's that?" asked Trowa.

"A safety measure. If the Gundam were to explode, the cockpit would seal off and be ejected. This is only to keep her from floating about the cockpit, and to prevent further injuries," replied Duo as he strained to remove Katja's foot.

"Why didn't we have that feature?" asked Trowa.

With one final pull Katja's foot finally came free. Duo stood up and started to help Trowa slide Katja out of the leg straps, as he answered.

"I guess because she was meant to take a beating not us," said Duo as they laid her out on the platform. His eyes scanning over her, it always pained him to see her hurt.

They cleared the gate and floated down to the floor where the other pilots were waiting along with the medic crew.

When they reached the floor the medic crew got a hold of her and started to inspect her for injuries as they ran off to Med. Bay. Leaving Duo and the rest of the pilots behind, worried about their friend.


	12. Secrets Revieled

**SECRETS REVIELED**

The next morning Katja awoke in her quarters, slowly, her entire body ached. She sat up and her head was swimming. She placed her right hand on her forehead and found her hand to be wrapped around the palm and down to her wrists. Her hand brushed a patch on her forehead, dampened with what she assumed was blood.

She dropped her hand at her side in exhaustion, sighed and got up. Katja took about five steps and then her knees, which already felt like jelly, gave in and she fell. She gave a groan of agitation, got up and walked to the Gundam holding area.

When she reached her Gundam she pushed off of the floor lightly and slowly rose. Being in outer space had it's advantaged. And a few seconds later, she reached the cockpit.

"So, what are you doing?" asked Katja as she looked into the cockpit to find Duo messing around within.

Realizing that he was found out, Duo gave a sheepish smile and pulled his hand back form the control board.

"Just getting a look at her from the inside. And making' sure that everything checks out," he answered.

Katja stepped into the doorway of the cockpit and leaned up against the doorframe, comfortably taking in Duo's story.

"Everything seems to be fine. You fried some wires pretty good but other then that it's as good as new." he dropped his arm from showing her where the fired wires used to be. "Well almost," he replied with a smile.

Katja laughed quietly at the joke and stepped back so duo could climb out.

"How are you feeling?" asked Duo once he was standing on the gate. He had his hands on her shoulders as if he would some how heal any of her pains with his touch.

"Okay I guess. I don't really remember what happened after I crashed into Wufei," answered Katja, not bothering to move from his touch. But Duo removed his hands anyway.

"You got electrocuted and we didn't know if you'd live," said Duo as he looked to the floor sheepishly.

"I should be Okay," replied Katja with a fake expression of confidence. As she stood there a throbbing pain reeked havoc in her stomach and was getting to be too much to bear.

The both paused for a split second just enjoying each other's company. Then the silence was broken.

"Come on you two stop flirting in there!" Quatre called cheerfully.

With a start, Duo turned and yelled from the edge of the gate. "You'd better run Quatre, 'cuz when I get done with you, you're going to be hurtin'!!"

Duo turned back to face Katja and blushed a little with embarrassment.

"I'd better go if I'm going to catch him. I'll talk to you later," he said and then jumped down from the platform.

With a sigh, Katja watched Duo slowly float down to the deck and take off running after Quatre. As duo ran out of sight she turned and gazed into the cockpit.

i How much closer will I get, I wonder/i she thought as she looked into the cockpit as if it were an endless cave. With another sigh and a wince of pain, Katja took her own leap of faith to the floor and strolled to the Café for lunch.

Later that day, Duo and Quatre, who now sported a split lip, called a meeting.

"Quatre and I have been talking… and we don't think you should fight anymore," stated Duo as bluntly and as quickly as possible. After a short pause, Trowa, cured from his amnesia during a previous battle, spoke up with his thoughts.

"I agree. You shouldn't be put in harm's way. Even if you have experience,"

In a sudden burst of anger, Katja shouted, "You can't ground me!"

"We're not grounding you…" Quatre said, desperately trying to clam things down.

"We're not against you fighting. In fact, we like the help, but you're just not…" Quatre paused trying to find the right words to avoid confrontation.

"Strong enough," finished Heero shortly.

Katja whipped her head around and glared at Heero, amazed at what he just said. Taking every word they had said personally.

"Not strong enough? Where do you get that idea?" she snapped.

"Lets see…Well for one thing Katja, you can hardly walk across the room and for another if you keep doing what you did yesterday you won't survive long," explained Wufei in a snippy tone. "Amazingly enough we want to keep you around."

That should have come off as a complement but Katja didn't focus on that.

"I've still got enough strength to take care of you, Wufei," she bragged.

"Prove it," challenged Wufei.

"All right," she said as she strained to get up.

Realizing that Katja was so stubborn that she would fight him, and that she would get hurt, Duo jumped in.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Let's not and say we did," a panicked Duo nearly shouted as he bolted in between them.

Facing Katja, he put his hands on her shoulders and tried to lightly push her away from Wufei, and back in to her seat. But she wouldn't go.

"Nock it off, Duo!" she shouted as she pushed his hand from her shoulders.

"We're not going to fight about this. Let's try to make it fare," Quatre announced.

"How fair is five verses one?" Shouted Katja in defiance.

After this the volume in the room rose as everyone started to argue with each other, except for Heero and Trowa, who remained silent in their chairs in the corner. Then all of a sudden the silence was broken.

"Katja!" shouted Heero over the noise. At the sound of his voice everyone stopped arguing. "Katja, I've got a deal for you," he said. br

"What's the deal?" she asked, stepping away from Duo.

"Well, two will fight. The first to pin the other to the ground wins," offered Heero.

"What are the terms?" inquired Katja, while considering the deal.

"One of us against you. If we win, you don't fight, if you win, well, looks like we've got some help," said Trowa.

After a short deliberation the decision was made.

"Deal," she said in a stern, serious voice.

Hearing the words uttered, Wufei began to rise from his chair once again, when Heero leapt out of his chair and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sure I'll meet you match," he said.

Understanding Heero's cause, Wufei took his seat and Heero regained his focus on her.

The two stood with eyes locked. Exchanging their "intimidating glares." Which worked for neither of them.

"Let's go," said Katja in a mildly cocky tone.

Once she said that Wufei, Trowa and Quatre started to move the chairs out of the way to create an area for them to fight in. While Heero and Katja went to opposite corners of the cleared space.

Katja reached her corner and started to take off a few bits of jewelry that she owned. She strung her mother's silver wedding ring, on to a silver chain with a cross hanging on the end that usually hung around her neck, but was placed in her pocket before she went to fight the day before. Duo, who followed her like a lost little puppy, tired to keep her from fighting.

"Katja, you can't do this," he urged. "Heero is nuts. He'll kill you if you get him going," he half whispered.

Getting more and more agitated Katja replied, in a forced calmness.

"Would you stop telling me I can't do something. I 'v heard it all my life and damn it, Duo, I'm going to do this!!"

i What the heck is she talking about/i he though, eyes widened with curiosity and confusion.Both of them stared at each other, eyes locked. Duo looking for a weakness to play upon and Katja, trying to stress the belief that she could do it.

"Fighters to the center," instructed Wufei, who arbitrarily became the referee.

The link between them was broken by his voice. And Duo, finding nothing to stop her, bowed his head, slowly shook it in worry and disbelief then walked away and sat in a chair to watch Katja fight.

With Duo out of her way, Heero and Katja walked to the center of the cleared area, where Wufei was standing ready to referee the match.

Upon command they bowed to each other, then prepared to fight. And with the second command the two converged into what closely resembled a street fight that went on for about three minutes.

At one point Heero knocked Katja down, and tried to hold her there. But they ended up rolling around on the floor; each struggling for footing so one could hold the other on the ground.

Seeing no progress, Wufei separated them and upon his command to begin, both Heero and Katja lunged with their left arms extended, in a direct route to each other's throat. And with the grip of a pit bull, hit their target, neither showing any sin of letting go.

"Okay guys, break," said Wufei calmly, but neither of them moved, their grips just got tighter.

"Break it up!" he shouted again and again they ignored him. Both of their lips were turning from a red to slightly blue/purple color and their eyelids were becoming heavy from the lack of blood.

"I'm calling the match a tie. NOW LET GO BOTH OF YOU!!!" yelled Quatre.

Neither heeding the words first spoken now shouted. Not thinking that they would move to quickly, for fear that they would give up ground, Duo stepped forward and addressed Katja.

"Katja, let go. It's a tie, we can wok something out. Just let go!" pleaded Duo.

With a muffled grunt Katja struggled out the words.

"I…will…not…"

With a sigh Duo stepped back, knowing all too well the breath he wasted when trying to reason with her. The small grunts of someone straining for breath was the only sound that came from them as they further cut off each other's airways. Finally, after teetering on the brink of passing out they tumbled to the floor.

"Catch them!" shouted Wufei as he realized that they were falling.

Trowa and Duo dove to brake Katja's fall while at the same time Quatre and Wufei did the same for Heero.

Once braced by the floor, Heero and Katja laid gasping for air.

In the middle of this struggle for breath Katja began to cough, a deep guttural cough that shakes the very bone in one's body. When the coughing ceased, she pulled her hand away from her mouth and found the palm covered in blood.

"What's wrong?" asked Duo as he kneeled by her side waiting to help her up.

"Nothing," she replied hoarsely still regaining her bearings. All the while she tried to put up the front that she was inspecting her mouth for a cut, that wasn't there. Katja knew where the blood came from or at least why it was there.

"What's in your hand?" Duo asked again, becoming sterner, like a father interrogating a child holding something behind their back that they shouldn't have.

"I said it was nothing," she responded again, becoming agitated.

Trowa reached down and grasped her wrist with his large strong hands squeezing it just enough that he unfolded her fingers with ease. When he saw what she was hiding, his usually stoic mask broke and his eyes became wide with horror.

"What is it?" asked Duo, becoming worried after seeing Trowa's reaction.

Trowa turned her wrist to show him. Duo's eyes filled with fear. Hastily Katja gave him an excuse. "I bit my cheek when I fell. That's all," she said calmly, not bothering to try to pull her hand away. But that didn't deter his eyes. His look was one of question and worry.

"Here's a towel," said Quatre as he tossed a white cloth on her lap.

Trowa let go of her hand so she could clean it off.

"Thanks," said Katja as she took the towel and started to wipe of her hand.

"Lets get you off the cold floor," said Trowa. He and Duo then put their hands under her arms and lifted her to her feet once there Duo dipped under her right arm for support. The instant Katja started to move she got very dizzy. To the point that Duo and Trowa had to keep her steady. The time had come and she knew it.

"Good fight," said Heero as he reached out his hand for her to shake.

No matter how hard Katja tried she couldn't grasp his hand. She is seeing four of them and when Katja finally reached for the fourth one she got his hand, lightly shook it, and weakly smiled.

i Oh no! It's affected my eyes/i she thought.

After that Katja turned from Trowa and Duo and faced the doorway, and almost fainted then Trowa and Duo caught her. The only thing she knew was that she desperately needed to get to bed, but Duo beat her to the announcement. "Better get you to bed," he said.

"I'll help you," offered Trowa.

"Na, I've got her," said Duo as he led her staggering to the doorway and down the hall. When they reached Katja's quarters, Duo opened the door, and Katja immediately hobbled to her bed, sat down and just stared at the floor. Duo smiled at her, closed the door and walked over.

"Too tired to lift up your legs are ya?" he said jokingly.

Katja didn't respond, but just sat there in exhausted bliss. She didn't want to move because she knew that it would hurt. The pain will come again. An unbearable throbbing that wouldn't go away.

Duo got tired of waiting for a response, reached down, picked up her legs, swung them around and gently laid them on the bed.

Katja went along with the movements and laid her head down on the pillow.

"You just rest. You need it," said Duo as he covered her with a blanket. There was a long pause like he was sorting out what would be appropriate to say, while he pulled more blankets on top of her.

"You should have never fought Heero. I knew that you would get hurt," he said solemnly while covering her up.

"Please don't scold me," whispered Katja weakly. Her health had severely deteriorated since before the fight, it showed and she knew it.

"Oh, so you can talk," Duo said mockingly as he looked her directly in the eye and smiled.

"Stop it, Duo," Katja ordered quietly and half-heartedly.

"Well at least you didn't fight Wufei. He would have really messed you up," he said as reassuringly as possible as he sat down on the edge of the bed like a father tucking in his child and waited for a response.

"I just bit my cheek that's all," she lied but still to tired to argue.

"Well I don't care what you say. You're staying in bed for at least three days. Then we can argue over your health," ordered Duo.

i Three days! I won't survive that long/i thought Katja as she lay there.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said as he got up and headed to the door.

Not wishing to be alone when death possibly came to call, Katja gave in to her feelings. "Wait, Duo," she weakly called. "Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?"

With a warm smile Duo granted her wish and pulled a chair up to her bedside. Katja reached for his hand and he gave it to her. Feeling the warmth of his hand in hers and just knowing that he was there cause her to swiftly to go to sleep.

Once he was sure that Katja was asleep Duo took his hand from hers, then slowly and quietly left the room and closed the door. As he turned from the door, he jumped at the sight of Heero standing on the other side of the hall.

"Jeeze, Heero!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" asked Duo as he relaxed from the initial shock, in a hissing whisper.

"I came to see Katja," she said rather bluntly. "How is she?"

Duo relaxed a little more then replied. "I don't know," he paused, clearly distressed. "It's like her will to live was exerted in the fight."

"I'll talk to her," said Heero.

"She just fell asleep," protested Duo in a protective tone.

Heero just stood there with a determined look to his face. Duo knew that look and that it meant that Heero was going to do what ever he damn well pleased.

"Fine. Just…if she wakes up, it's not my fault," said Duo as he reluctantly walked away.

Heero quietly opened the door and stepped in. He walked over to Katja's bedside and sat in the chair that Duo hadn't put away, sat down and just watched her sleep.

Slowly, as if she knew he was there, Katja woke up and weakly smiled at Heero.

"You've gotten worse," he said gravely.

"I know," she responded weakly.

"When was your last transfusion?" Heero asked.

"About seven months ago."

They both paused. Katja intentionally didn't get a transfusion earlier, but he didn't need to know that, it was none of his business. Heero's expression was like looking at a stonewall, nothing could break though.

"Well find a donor. There has to be someone with the same blood type," he said with the first sound of panic she had ever heard in his voice. Katja knew he was feeling distraught.

"There aren't enough people on the ship Heero. The ratio is too small," Katja paused and finally decided to express her feelings. "Just let me go. I've lived on borrowed time long enough."

"No Katja. You still have at least six months left to live. …I won't let you give into this disease," ordered Heero.

With a sigh of weariness Katja gave in. " Do what you must then, I know I can't stop you,"

Heero stood up and walked out of the room leaving her to rest.

Once outside Quatre stopped him before he could walk away. "What was that all about?" asked Quatre who was just passing by and heard them.

"Get everyone in the Café. I've got to tell you guys something," ordered Heero.

Within ten minutes the Gundam pilots were assembled in the Café.

"Quiet down!" ordered Heero. "I've got something to tell you."

Everyone stopped talking and listened.

"Katja is very ill," he began. "She was born with a deadly disease of the blood. Her body doesn't make enough blood to keep her alive," he paused as he looked around the room at all the amazed faces.

"Every six months she has to get a blood transfusion. Right now she's really pushing it by finishing off her seventh month," he paused again. "If we don't find a donor soon she is going to die."

The room was silent, only stunned faces screamed disbelief. How could she hide it for so long?

"So what do we do?" inquired Quatre.

"Everyone on the sip must have blood drawn and tested for a certain type. It's that blood that allows her to live for so long," answered Heero.

Everyone was sitting there listening intently to Heero, except Duo. He was sitting there with his head lowered fighting back the tears of fear that he had for Katja.

"Duo, are you all right?" asked Quatre as he placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

With a sudden fury that he rarely revealed, he shook off his hand and stormed out of the room and down the hall to the suite hanger. Leaving Heero and the others to their meeting.

"HOWARD!!" shouted Duo as he entered the room.

"Hey Duo, how's it going?" greeted Howard, the ship's captain, as he road a control platform down to the floor, where Duo jumped on.

"We need to do blood tests on everyone on the ship. We're looking for a donor," said Duo, leaning over a bank of controls, fighting his emotions.

"What for Duo, we have blood reserves?" asked Howard.

"We need a specific type that isn't in the bank," said Duo, not looking up from the control panel, still concentrating on the fact that the time he just spent with Katja could have been his last. With that, Howard ordered the men and women to assemble and have blood drawn.

Quatre and Trowa worked for an entire day drawing blood and testing it. Out of all the hundreds of men and women on board not one came close to being a usable donor.

The last to be tested were the Gundam pilots.

"Duo, you're up," called Quatre.

At the sound of his voice, Duo's eyes became wide with fear.

"No way I hate needles," he said as he slowly got out of his chair in an attempt to make a break for it.

"Oh come on Duo, it's just a needle," said Quatre.

"Whoa no! You're gonn a have to knock me out before you stick me with that!" panicked Duo.

By this time all four of the other pilots were surrounding Duo like a pack of hyenas stalking their pray, forcing Duo to back into a corner, Quatre among them with a syringe ready. While they slowly advanced, Quatre handed Wufei the rubber band to tie around his arm.

"Duo it's just a little prick that's all," coaxed Quatre.

"I said no. That's final," ordered Duo as his back reached the wall.

"What if you're the one, Duo? The one with the blood we need?" called Quatre, hoping to play on his emotions.

"Well put me under before you do it. I hate needles!" Duo answered, not buying it.

Getting tired of negotiations, Heero made a quick movement towards Duo. Startled, Duo took a quick step towards Wufei, who, with rubber strap in hand, pounced on Duo, followed by the others, and tied the rubber band to his right arm. Pinning it to the ground with one knee on the wrist and holding his shoulder to the wall.

Surprised by the sudden attack Duo began to flail his limbs, trying to kick them off.

"Now Quatre!" shouted Trowa while he was struggling to hold Duo's legs and torso still, in spite of his strength.

"No! Don't!!" came a muffled cry from Duo, still fighting to free his arm from Wufei's grip.

"I can't do it. He's bouncing around too much," called Quatre.

Realizing that they weren't going to be able to hold him for long, Heero took matters into his own hands and brought his right forearm across Duo's face and pinned his head against the wall. With his head pinned, Duo couldn't move.

"Duo, listen to me!" he shouted.

The struggling stopped and he paid attention.

"Either you hold still or I'm going to knock you out the hard way. Now let Quatre do this and we're done," he ordered with a hint of agitation.

Taking advantage of Duo remaining still, Trowa locked his hands around Duo's hips and entwined his left leg with Duo's right, while Wufei held Duo's arm tighter while Quatre drew the blood.

"Done," said Quatre triumphantly.

With that one word spoken, something inside of Duo snapped. He got an enormous amount of strength and with one monstrous kick into Trowa and Quatre, they went flying across the room. A split second later he swung his arms and tossed Wufei and Heero into the pile, then stormed out of the room. The rubber strap still tied around his arm.


	13. Healing Heart

**HEALING HEART**

"Heart monitor on," said Quatre out loud while going through a mental checklist.

"What's going on?" Katja whispered. She had been sleeping when he started.

"We've found a donor," answered Quatre calmly, making sure he had all the appropriate instruments. "He's over there," he told her, nodding in his direction then continued concentrating on putting the needle in to her arm.

And there, laid out on an operating table, was Duo. His head hung unconsciously to the side, and just below his left are was a needle already in his arm and hooked up to a system of tubes and machines.

A tear slowly trickled sown her cheek as she gazed at Duo's seemingly lifeless body.

"Don't worry he's okay, just sleep," said Quatre reassuringly. "He won't be under for long, so we've got to get moving," he warned.

"I'm ready when you are," said Katja.

"Okay. Blood flow has been started," said Quatre as he sat down on a stool in-between the two tables containing his friends, and a control panel for the pumping machine in front of him.

"Does he know the risks?" she asked, trying to start a conversation.

Quatre looked away from the control panel to Katja then to Duo. "We told him. But I don't think it registered," answered Quatre.

"Why did you put him to sleep?" asked Katja.

"He has an extreme fear of needles and the only way to get him to do it was to gas him." He paused and smiled.

"What's so funny?" she inquired.

"Nothing. I just remembered trying to draw blood. I've got a bruise on my stomach because of his fear," he said with a chuckle.

"He fought you?" asked Katja rather shocked, even though keeping her eyes open was becoming a chore.

Quatre just nodded solemnly. Then brought a hand to her shoulder.

"You should rest. This is going to wipe you out more then him," said Quatre at the first sign of drowsiness.

Katja didn't argue, just laid her head back and dozed off into a black abyss.

The next thing she knew, Katja was in her quarters, being waken up by Quatre.

Her eyes flickered open, and Quatre gave a sigh of relief.

"Man, you started to make me worry," he said once she was awake.

Katja's eyes drowsily opened, then instantly she remembered Duo and shot up to a sitting position as if something hot was under her pillow and looked around the room.

"Whoa!" shouted Quatre as he jumped back, surprised at her quick movement.

"That's got to be the fastest you've moved in a while. Are you okay?" Quatre said cheerfully, as he cautiously came near, afraid of another quick movement.

"Where's Duo?" asked Katja intently.

Stunned at her question he answered.

"He… He's in his room." Realizing that Katja wasn't going to move right away he continued, "Feeling kind of wasted."

She swung her legs to the floor, and took off running for his room.

"Wait! Katja!!" shouted Quatre from the doorway of her quarters.

The blood had worked. To her, the transfusion was like putting gasoline in a car that was running on fumes.

Almost completely out of breath, Katja finally reached the door to his room.

Gasping for breath, she opened the door to a dark room where only a small light, placed on a table beside the head of the bed, pierced the darkness.

With the small amount of light that the night light didn't give off she could see the profile of his face as he lay on his back in bed. As Katja got closer she could see that he was just waking up then suddenly froze when his head turned in her direction, his body propped up on an elbow ready to pounce. She could see his face pretty clearly but he obviously couldn't see hers.

"Who's there?" he asked, he saw her shadowy figure come towards him and he became tenser.

"It's me," she replied, "Katja."

Hearing who it was he put down his guard and relaxed back on the bed.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in a weaker whisper.

"I came to see you. Quatre said that you were feeling tired. So I came to make sure that you're all right," she quietly answered. He just smiled and motioned her to sit down on the bed.

"I'm feelin' kind of sick, but other then that I'm just tired," he said weakly and dropped a hand on her knee with comforting intentions that didn't work.

Katja smiled at him as he finished. He started to roll his eyes back in an attempt to go back to sleep. Katja watched him in what look like agony, a pang of grief hit her. In attempts to prove her instincts wrong Katja woke him.

"So am I gong to have to wait three days before you're better?" she said jokingly.

He smiled with his eyes closed, gave a chuckle and dozed back off.

"Just rest. You'll feel better in the morning," said Katja in a soft whisper while stroking his bangs away from his face, as he dozed off into the abyss of his dreams. Once Katja was sure he was asleep she gently removed his hand from her knee and laid it on his stomach, and went back to her quarters, with the grief still hanging in the pit of her stomach.


	14. Confessions

**CONFESSIONS **

The next day Katja awoke feeling a little sluggish compared to the night, and got dressed with out any trouble and went to the café.

When she got there Heero, Trowa, Wufei and Quatre were already eating and the only ones in the café. Heero was the only one to see her come in and the look on his face, which said stay away, was warning enough to know that she wasn't welcome at that table. So Katja hastily got her food and headed for a separate table.

As she walked by the other boys realized her presence.

"Good morning Katja. How are you feeling?" asked Quatre, in his usual cherry tone. He was the only one to say anything.

"I'm fine. How are you?" she responded politely.

"Fine, thank you," he answered.

And that was it. No more words were exchanged between them. And without prospect of a conversation starting, Katja kept going until she found her desired table, about five tables away from them.

After about five minutes Duo staggered in. Other then his shirt being untucked, which was very unusual for him, he looked better from a distance, though a little pale against the black of his clothing.

Without any acknowledgement of her presence he walked a direct route to the table where the other boys were sitting.

Beginning to become tired of feeling like she was being rejected, Katja got up and left. Not paying any attention to the fact that Trowa had just gotten up and was heading in her direction.

She walked directly to the mobile suite hanger. Not acknowledging anyone who passed. Warm tears streamed down her face and the feeling of guilt soured her stomach.

Once at the foot of her Gundam, she slowly floated up to the cockpit, and sat down in it.

My one sanctuary, where I'll never be rejected, thought Katja as she snuggled down in to the control chair. Once comfortable she closed the door.

It was dark for a few minutes, then she bumped a button and all the lights in the cockpit came on.

"Grüß Gott Katja. Wie Gehts? " came up on the screen as well as being said by a cheery female voice.

A little startled and weary of the voice Katja typed in a response.

"Grüß Gott! Wie heißen Sie?"

"Meine Name sind was du Möchtest,"

p A little confused by what she was hearing, Katja shrugged and typed in a name.

"Du heißt Alexi. Das war meine mutter's Name." After she finished typing the name, Katja sadly looked away. The memories of her parents were so vivid, and she would give anything to be with them again but knew it could never be.

"Das ist ein schönen Name," responded the computer with what sounded like human expression. Both paused for a moment. Then the silence was broken by the computer's voice again.

"Du kannst zu mich sprechen. Ich kann du hören," informed the computer.

"Sprechts du English?" Katja asked, feeling kind of silly talking to a computer.

"Yes I do," replied the computer with a slight German accent.

"Please speak only English unless I command other wise," She ordered.

"Order understood and saved," responded the computer.

Katja paused for a moment, waiting for something else to come popping out at her. Once she started to relax again, the computer started shouting out alarms.

"Enemy's in the vicinity! Enemy's in the vicinity!" called the computer.

"What??" snarled an agitated Katja as she reached for the display button and pushed it.

In a split second the computer had the data on all five Gundams and the rest of the mobile suite force that the Peace Million contained.

"Computer stop!" Katja ordered in a stern voice. "Computer, identify all mobile suites on board as allies."

"Orders understood and saved," answered the computer.

A few minutes of silence went by, then suddenly…

"Civilian approaching," said the computer. On the main screen was Duo at the foot of her Gundam.

"Katja! I know you're in there!" he shouted, "Open up. We've got to talk!"

With a reluctant sigh she pushed the button to open the gate.

"What's wrong?" were the first words that came out of his mouth when he reached the entryway.

"Nothing, I just wanted a little privacy," she replied.

"You can go to your room and lock the door for that," he said with a chuckle. Then reached out a hand and wiped a tear from her cheek.

"Why are you crying?" he asked softly.

Katja turned her face away from his touch and look at the screen to her left. There a picture of her parents beamed brightly. Duo took one look in the same direction and understood.

"Damn computer!" said Katja as she pounded a fist on the button that turned off that particular screen, when she noticed that Duo saw it.

Duo turned his head down. He knew that most of her problems revolved around the loss of her parents. She loved them very much and when they were taken from her, she was lost.

"I'm sorry, Katja. I will never show that picture unless you command it," said the computer in the same manner as a child who was yelled at for only doing what they were told, "I'll shut down now."

"What's that?" asked Duo as he took a step back, ready to protect himself from the unknown.

"It's the computer," she responded, "Good idea, Alexi,"

The screens went dark; the whir of the machine had ceased, and they were alone in the dimly lit cockpit.

At first there was a long pause as Katja tried to think of words to say. She had never told him of her disease and never explained to him why she was so violent. But with just a simple sigh, it all came out, no holds barred.

"I almost joined them, Duo," she started while staring off into the shadows with glazed eyes.

Duo didn't say anything, just sat on the steps that led out of the Gundam and listened, much as he did the first time he had found her in when the were kids.

Realizing that he was still there and was going to listen to her story, Katja continued.

"When I was about five-years-old my parents couldn't figure out why I was getting sick. They had taken me to many specialists who had no clue as to the cause of it. At that time the doctors would say to wait it out and I would always get better. At that time my body was fighting it," her eyes, that were staring into space, beamed with pride and then slowly disintegrated, "But the time I had to wait to get better kept getting longer and longer until I wasn't getting better. Before I left for the L1 colony to be trained as a pilot, I had to go through some testing. It was then that I was diagnosed," she paused for a moment, sorting out her history, bowing her head to hide her face.

"It was decided that one of the best places for me to go was outer space," she paused, her voice getting a little shaky, "because the lower gravity slows the aging of the blood," Katja sighed, trying to suppress an uproar of emotions.

"Before I boarded the shuttle, my father made me promise that I would take care of myself before anyone or anything else," She paused, wiping her eyes. Her gaze focusing on his face, shadowed by the light behind him. "It's because of that promise that I didn't go back to earth for the funeral. That's why Oz was so surprised I was still alive when I signed up. They thought they had gotten me too," she paused again smiling at he deception, then quickly lowered her eyes shamefully.

"After they died, I kept my promise for awhile, then became more and more reclusive. I never knew what the disease could do to me," she looked up again and into his eyes, that seemed to glow through the shadow, then continued.

"When I was training with you I hadn't had a transfusion for over two years. No one knew. It was my job to get the transfusion done and I just didn't do it." She paused again, lowering her eyes. She just couldn't bear looking into his eyes anymore, knowing that she had lied to him.

"Not until now did I realize that I couldn't push it because…" she paused again, her tears choking her voice, "…because I wouldn't be the only one hurt," she paused again, her emotion surfacing with every tear, but she regained composure.

"When I saw you lying there on the gurney, braving your own fears, I felt so guilty that I could have been stupid enough that it would cause you to become sick. Over time I developed a death wish and now…" her voice failed her again as she tried to give an explanation for her emotions and past actions, cleared her throat, then with her last bit of courage and intensity, she raised her eyes and looked directly into his, as if she were arguing with him.

"You're sick because I need your blood. I have a new found energy after you faced becoming very ill because of me," Katja paused, wordless; the agony of years of grief wrinkled her face as she tried to keep calm. All the while she searched Duo's calm blue eyes for some sign that he believed her. Finally giving up, she dropped her head in to her hands and began to sob.

Without a word Duo got up from his seat and reached over, placing a hand on her shoulder and stood there next to her.Katja looked up into his clear cobalt eyes and comforting yet sympathetic smile realizing that he didn't need her to tell him all that to believe her.

Katja reached her arms up around his neck and they hugged each other. They stood together in each other's embrace for a short while. Then separated enough to see each other's face. Katja still had tears streaming down her face and Duo had a few pioneering trails down his own cheeks as well.

At the sight of their faces they both started to laugh, then Duo cupped his right hand around the back of her head firmly and spoke.

"I would face a million needles and any other danger that came with them for you. I love you, and nothing that has happened in the past will ever change that," he said seriously with a sniffle at the end.

Katja smiled through her tears and laid her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her, rocking slightly from side to side, as if she were a baby. They then separated and gently floated down to the floor, hand in hand.


	15. Costly Favor

**COSTLY FAVOR**

The lights were dim when she walked in, but a faint glow came from the many control panels. People were rushing about, shouting orders and scurrying to follow them. Katja, being in no particular hurry, walked up to Howard, the ship's captain. He was an old gangly guy, but still possessed the hidden strength of an elderly man who had worked all his life. He was defiantly a sight, clad in a pink Hawaiian shirt, Khakis, and his sunglasses.

Katja had walked up behind him without his knowing and stood a good foot away before she spoke.

"What's going on?" she asked as she came to a stop behind him.

Startled by her sudden appearance, Howard jumped.

"Jeez Katja, you scared me." He paused a second regaining his senses.

"We've been fighting since early this morning." He paused again and scanned his eyes over her body.

Katja ignored him and gathered as much information from the screens as she could.

"What on earth are you wearing?" asked Howard exasperated.

Katja didn't move, but just leaned over a control panel in front of her and started to type in coordinates.

"It's a uniform," she replied blankly. Then turned her head to face him, her hands still typing frantically like they had a mind of their own.

"Is there a problem?" she finished with a cocky attitude. She was dressed in her black Oz uniform and just being in that uniform seemed to make the people around her stay away like she was a stick of dynamite with the fuse lit, that is how Oz affected people. The mere sight of a uniform and they would get scared, that was the point.

_ To strike fear in the ones you command, then you have total control over them and order can be established, or a dictatorship._ Katja smiled at the thought that these two sentences summed up Oz's entire idea of a proper world order.

_Ok, enough with the Nazi history._ She shook her head at the jest, but kept to herself.

"No, No! I just don't understand why you would want to put that thing on again," he replied quickly. Even Howard was afraid of her. He knew both her and Duo when they were being trained together, and he always had been afraid of her. It was something about her that made his blood run cold. Maybe he could handle Duo going off and killing people, but the thought of a young girl conducting interrogations more savagely then what was described in history books about the Nazis and the Gestapo. And he of Jewish background made it even more unbearable. A flood of relief would always come when he would realize that she was on their side, but also pity for those she would capture.

Katja turned back to the screen.

"First, I got to do laundry and second I have a separate agenda then the pilots," she replied, not moving her eyes from the screen.

A little nervous that she might do something to them or the Peace Million, Howard stepped back a little.

Katja didn't need to see him to know that he was nervous, she could tell by the way he was acting. She stood and turned to face him. The screens shining from behind her made her body look like a black paper silhouette, her back strait, shoulders square.

Everything neat and tidy. His hands started to shake a little. No matter how old he'd get he would always be afraid of this fifteen-year-old girl.

"Don't panic. It doesn't include harming you or the Peace Million," she said with a smile.

Howard relaxed a little once she turned back to the controls.

"Howard! We've got a problem!" shouted one of the operators from is bank of screens and controls.

"What is it?" asked Howard immediately anxious.

"The Libra is advancing with more mobile dolls," the man shouted.

"How long have they been fighting?" called Katja.

The operator looked at her, his brow beaded with sweat, obviously he had been strung out on coffee for a long time and his nerves weren't helping him.

"The Gundams have already been out there for two hours. I don't think they can take much more of this," he responded.

Before Howard could get an order off Katja took the operator's spot, looked over the screen to see the best solution and started sending orders to the pilots.

They need to fight together. Heero. use the Zero system and lead them! thought Katja as she typed in the orders for the Gundams.

Duo, go to the north quadrant with Scythe… Trowa, keep to the left quad with Gunfire… Quatre, stay to the right quad… Wufei, down the middle and south… No holds barred.

With the snap or the return key the orders were sent and Katja flew out of the chair and ran to her Gundam.

I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this! she thought as she ran.

The cockpit came to life instantly. Katja strapped in and took off for the battle ship Libra. She had little opposition on her flight into the hell that consumed the Gundam pilots, and of that opposition it was only a few mobile dolls that were easily torn apart. Amazingly enough, when she reached a docking bay on the Libra, she faced no opposition. No man or woman working on the Libra was anywhere to be found. Before she left the cockpit she called up the picture of her parents.

"Hey Mom and Dad. Well, here it goes. If I fail I'll see you soon. I love you." She told the screen from the gate opening. She pressed a hand to her lips and blew a kiss to the picture. Katja checked her side arm and the machine gun she had pulled out of her lock box. She slung the shoulder strap across her chest so the gun rested near her hip. She then hit the button that opens the gate and jumped out. Leaving the gate wide open and the picture still beaming on the screen.

The halls of the Libra were nearly empty. Even so, Katja quietly moved from shadow to shadow until she found Milliardo in an empty room staring out a window into space. Katja stepped in very quietly, with handgun drawn, stalking him like a panther. He didn't seem to notice that she had entered the room. She came up from behind him and jabbed the barrel of the gun into his back at the same time placing her left hand on his shoulder to stop him from turning. Milliardo stiffened with surprise.

Katja brought her body closer to his and whispered in the direction of his ear.

"Boo," she said very faintly.

He was much taller then her and could have harmed her, but he didn't move for fear that she would fire.

"So Katja, I see that you've found me, and that's good," he said in response. He didn't turn his head; just spoke as if she was right in front of him.

"I was expecting you. You took a little bit longer then I thought you would, but you still came," Milliardo paused. For Katja, the atmosphere in the room went from confidence to a strange fear of what he had hiding in the shadows of this dark room. She hadn't thought of a possible trap, but he couldn't have known that she would be coming.

All of a sudden the lights in the room come on with blinding force. Katja tried to squint but the light was too bright and she was forced to close them. She kept the pistol barrel in his back but removed her hand from his shoulder to cover her eyes. They burned and she didn't know why.

All of a sudden someone kicked her right hand and the pistol went flying across the room. Katja tried to squint, but only saw Milliardo standing before her with a knowing smirk on his face. That faint picture was then blocked by the hands of his soldiers, grabbing at her arms and legs trying to capture her. Katja fought blindly with all her might. She couldn't see her enemy but she knew they were there. She swung her arms around when some one grabbed a hold and kicked them off of her legs. But it was no match, like a pack of rabid dogs they surrounded her and then pounced, dragging her down into a pile of bodies. Each one clinging to a part of her anatomy. They finally got her motionless and pulled her to a standing position, before Milliardo.

"You thought I wouldn't have a plan, didn't you Katja." He paused for a moment, waiting for a response that he knew she wouldn't give. Katja was a hard one to break, but she would break, that he was sure of.

"I see that you wore your uniform. You want to play Oz soldier, Katja?" he paused again, then started to pace as he began to speak.

"If that's so, then I'll play by Oz's rules. And according to Oz's rules, any soldiers caught trying to assassinate their commanding officer is put to death." Milliardo kept on pacing and then stopped before her and spoke almost kindly.

"But I won't do that, Katja, you're too valuable." He paused again and walked past her to the exit.

"But mark my words, you will receive your punishment for this, and for other incidents from the past!" shouted Milliardo from the exit. Then with a nod of his head one of the soldiers took their side arm and struck Katja in the back of the head, rendering her unconscious.

When Katja woke up she found herself with her arms spread and tied to loops in the wall holding her slightly off the ground. Only a long-sleeved white t-shirt and her bra underneath covered her upper body, her black uniform jacket removed and placed neatly on a chair nearby.

Katja's rib cage ached from being clubbed with a baton and all of her limbs seemed to ache with bruises. Her face already shone with bruises from being beaten by the soldiers who caught and bound her. She still had the metallic flavor of blood in her mouth from a split lip. They had done a bang up job, literally. Katja exhaled shortly in what was supposed to be a chuckle when the door to the left of her opened and Milliardo strode in, with a whip in hand.

He passed in front of her and began to lecture. "You know that according with Oz's rules you are to be shot. Since you wanted to play Oz soldier I should give you the mercy of a quick death," He took the hilt of the whip and held up her chin with it, his face inches away from hers. "But we are not under Oz's jurisdiction now, are we?" he asked her with a smile, removing the hilt from underneath her chin, letting her head drop slightly.

Katja was weary from the fight with the soldiers but still had enough strength to accept the punishment. She let her head fall that small amount and mentally prepared herself for the thing that will probably kill her…and it wasn't her stubborn reckless abandon.

Milliardo waited for a moment, allowing her that time to ready herself. While he stood there looking on, it pained him to see her so willing to take this savage punishment. They had been friends once, at least in military terms. He wavered for a second, trying to figure a way out of this mess. But no, there was no other way. Just as there was no other way to end this war other then to destroy the earth. With that thought set in his mind, Milliardo removed his coat and readied to begin.

With a lout snap the leather thong struck her back, cutting through the thin t-shirt. Instantly Katja jumped, but made no cry. The braided leather snake continued to strike her back, tearing the shirt and her flesh, in a chaotic crisscross pattern. But still no cry penetrated her dry lips.

The frustration within him grew as he continued the punishment. Milliardo's brow streamed with sweat when finally with one last crack of the whip he grasped the end and swung it over her head like a jump rope, bringing it across her neck and pulled her head back.

Even through the haze that clouded her mind she could feel his hot breath on her neck and hear his words spoken between gasps of breath.

"If I can't break you now, I will eventually kill you…I've got time, Katja…I can wait," he whispered in her ear, then stepped back to address the soldiers standing guard, letting the whip fall to the floor.

"Throw her in the cell with the others!" he shouted, as he walked away picking up his coat from a chair on his way out.

The door slid shut behind him. Both of the sentries looked at Katja in awe. Never in their wildest dreams would they think a fifteen-year-old girl could withstand that type of punishment. When they reached her, the biggest of the sentries supported her underneath her arms in case she fell while the other untied the straps holding her up. The idea of the bigger man supporting her was a joke because she had cleared her mind enough that she could pretty much stand on her own. Contrary to what they thought she had very good control of her faculties. When both of her arms were untied, both took an arm and one grabbed her uniform jacket and escorted her to the cell Milliardo mentioned.

When they reached the door, the smaller man opened it. Katja stood in the center of the doorway and paused. The cell was dark except for the light from the doorway. She was trying to focus her eyes so she wouldn't fall walking in. But the sentries weren't going to wait any longer. They simultaneously shoved her through the doorway. Not ready for the sudden movement, Katja stumbled into the room and fell on her knees. The larger man threw her jacket on the floor beside her and they closed the door, leaving her in the dark with whatever the room originally contained.


	16. Redemption

**REDEMPTION **

"Who's there?" asked a voice from the dark, a nasal squeak that was familiar to her. She knew exactly who they were and knew their names, but didn't answer.

A short dark figure broke from a larger shadow, walked toward her and knelt down beside her. Just as the shadow reached out to touch her she spoke.

"Touch me and die, Professor," her voice cracked through parched lips. Once the words were spoken, the eyes that once gazed sightlessly into the darkness, turned to meet the shadow with a savage truth with in them that made him stop immediately. Then, as suddenly as the danger flashed, it faded and disappeared.

Her eyelids drooped and her body swayed. She began to fall, but was caught by a strong solid arm behind her.

She winced a little pain but was silenced by a warm comforting voice. "We'll take care of you now. Just rest."

Not feeling threatened Katja gave into the darkness and gave full trust to the five men within the room.

"You let her what!!" shouted a furious Duo at Howard.

"I let her go. At first I didn't know where she was going, but the tracker picked her up on the Libra. She was gone before I could stop her," replied Howard in defense.

"I can't believe you did that!" bellowed Duo as he swung his arms around and paced.

"Chill out, Duo. We'll get her back. Besides she, can handle herself," said Heero as he stepped in front of Duo and blocked his path.

Duo paused in his tracks and glared at him, who returned the look with one of his own.

"Speaking of that, Heero, what actually happened to her wrist anyhow?" inquired Duo rudely.

Heero didn't respond, just stood there quietly.

"Why won't you say anything, Hee-ro? If you know she'll pull through on her own then you've got to know what happened to her wrist!" asked Duo, again, referring to a series of old jagged scars that were on Katja's wrists. He had asked Katja what they were from, but she wouldn't tell him. He didn't know where this was coming from, but something within him said that whatever questions he had about Katja, Heero knew the answer to.

"Um, Duo, just for the record books, what are you talking about?" asked Quatre as politely as he could.

Heero became obviously angry, and clenched his fists at his side to keep from punching Duo, both oblivious to Quatre.

"If you think I did that, you're wrong," he snapped through clenched teeth.

Duo took a step closer to Heero, knowing that he had hit a nerve and that all he had to do was to keep testing him before the truth would come out.

"Well she didn't get them when she was with me. And you seem to know a lot about her for only meeting her here on the ship," mocked Duo, "so come on and tell us."

Both Duo and Heero stood stone still, neither giving up when Heero spoke out of force.

"I know her because we trained together. And those scars came from a failed mission," he began, "She was captured and our orders were to kill ourselves if captured."

"That sounds familiar," said Wufei in the background. Everyone had their attention focused on Heero, as he spoke, ignoring Wufei.

"She had a knife in her boot and proceeded to cut at her wrist. I went against orders and went back for her. If I didn't she would have died," Heero stopped, still glaring at Duo, who now stood slightly stunned by what he had heard.

"But I don't understand, Heero," said Quatre, "how does that prove that Katja will get through this?"

Heero turned to face Quatre.

"When she was debriefed she said that she had tried everything to get out of the cell, and almost got out herself, but was caught again. And besides, I knew Katja before and after her parent's death. If she thinks that she can get out, she'll stop at nothing trying." He paused and turned back to Duo, "You should know that."

"Okay, here's the plan: We're going to follow Quatre with the Zero System. Everyone's main objective is to get into the Libra, find Katja and destroy it. Any questions?" asked Heero.

The four pilots stood there ready for battle, staring at Heero, silent.

"Alright, lets go," replied Heero.

They each grabbed their helmets and headed to their Gundams.

The five of them flew out of the Peace Million and headed straight for the battleship Libra. Heero separated from the group to search for Milliardo in a new type of mobile suite called the Epyon.

With Quatre behind the lines, shouting out orders, the four pilots worked like a machine, cutting down the mobile dolls like grass.

"What the hell is he doing?!" exclaimed Howard from the bridge of the Peace Million.

"It seems that Milliardo is going to crash the Libra into Earth," replied a crewman sitting in front of a screen.

"Not if I have anything to do about it. Set a course full speed directly at the Libra!" ordered Howard.

"Projected time of impact five minutes," called out a crewman from another area of the bridge.

"Anyone who wants to leave, do it now," ordered Howard sternly.

"What the hell is he thinking?" asked Quatre to himself as he watched the Peace Million crash into the Libra.

"This is our chance! Duo, Trowa, head for the Libra!" shouted Quatre as he too sped off to invade the Libra.

The three of them entered at about the same area. Quatre went to stop the mobile dolls, Trowa continued to cause severe damage and Duo went to find Katja.

Duo was running down the hall of what his map told him was the cellblock, and randomly stopped at one of the doors, placed some plastic explosives on the doorknob and blew the lock.

After the dust cleared he pulled his gun and cautiously peaked in the door.

"Awe, man, how come I'm the one to always find you guys?" he moaned when he discovered that the room he had opened contained the five scientists that built the Gundams and who were handing out orders earlier in the war.

"…We are prepared to pay for our sins. You've just got to get us there," explained Dr. J, the builder of Wing Zero, Heero's Gundam.

"I have no problem taking you to the Peace Million, but do you think it'll work?" asked Duo as he sat down on a ledge that posed as a bed near a large bundle of blankets. He leaned down on the blankets and waited for the scientists to continue, when the blankets began to groan and move.

Duo jumped back on his feet when he heard the sound and pulled his gun, aiming it at the pile.

The far end of the blanket flipped up and a shadowy figure sat up.

"What's going on?" asked the figure.

"Katja?" asked Duo, still a little stunned, his arms dropping to his side.

Katja leaned forward into the light and smiled weakly at Duo.

"What the hell happened to you? Why were you under those blankets?" asked Duo in a hurry.

"If you haven't noticed, it's a little cold in here," replied Katja in a cool, calm manner that seemed eerie.

Not realizing that the room was actually warm, Duo sat down next to her and absently listened to the scientist, babble to themselves. Nothing really registered, he was still excited that he had found Katja.

"Duo, we'd better be going," said Professor G, the builder of the Deathscyth, Duo's Gundam.

"Right. Let's get out of here," he replied as he got up with Katja at his side.

She seemed to walk normally, no limping or signs of torture, but that didn't mean anything. She could hide her pain well, and he new it. She had her black Oz jacket on, but it wasn't buttoned. They were the first to exit the door, their hands clasped together, Duo lead her a few feet away from the doorway.

"Katja, you're coming with me,"

"I can't, I've got to finish what I started," she replied weakly.

Duo stood there for a second studying her face.

"You'll have 30 minutes to get out of here. I've set enough explosives to blow it up five times. I don't want to go looking for body parts," said Duo with a light chuckle at the end.

Katja chuckled, then nodded and turned to go. Duo didn't let go of her hand and pulled her back into his arms. And without a word spoken, kissed her hard and passionately. His tongue separating her lips and caressing hers. His free hand found it's way around to her back and he started to pull her closer to him.

Katja responded to his kisses just as passionately, but the added pressure on the cuts caused a lightning bolt of pain to shoot across her back. She arched her back, trying to get away from his hand, but it just followed her movement and pinned her even closer to his body.

Duo held her tighter and tighter, until finally Katja cried out in pain, breaking the moment. Duo stopped putting pressure on her back, rested his hand on her hip and looked in her eyes curiously. Katja smiled at him weakly, her eyes expressing her pain and fatigue. She lightly kissed him on the lips, turned and ran way, releasing her grip on his hand before he could pull her back.

Stunned and confused, Duo stood there until she turned a corner and was out of sight. Then turned to face the scientists who were impatiently waiting for him to take them to the Peace Million.

Duo scowled, looked back over his shoulder down the empty hall, then back to the scientists and silently started on his way to his Gundam, the five men in tow.

"That's pretty sad, a woman who can't cry," said Trowa as he walked into the mobile doll control room. Where Dorothy Catalonia stood with a fencing foil in her hand, and an injured Quatre floated, due to the low gravity, unconscious.

Dorothy didn't say a thing, but just stood still while Trowa tore out the wires and control panels of the computer used to control the mobile dolls.

As the wires were pulled, bright squares on the ten foot tall screen across the room went out like candle flames.

When the room was dark, Trowa walked over to Quatre to see if he was alive. He had regained consciousness but was very weak from the stab wound in his side.

"You'd better get out of here, or you'll be destroyed," Trowa warned Dorothy, who was still standing silently still in the middle of the room.

With that, Trowa ducked under Quatre's right arm and helped him to his Gundam.

"Okay, here we are," said Duo over the speakers in the five men's helmets.

The five scientists climbed off the exterior of Duo's Gundam and headed to the bridge of the Peace Million.

"Duo try to keep it down out there!" shouted Professor G as he walked away from the Gundam.

Duo turned his Gundam around and was immediately hit with missiles from the mobile suites still fighting.

"Why don't you tell that to the enemy," Duo jested as he pulled his Gundam away from the Peace Million and rejoined the fight.

Katja stumbled into the engine control room. The small room was empty, most of the Libra's crew had evacuated already. Katja staggered across the small room to a gigantic control panel. She had to find a way to shut down the engines or at least to redirect them.

She found the shutdown button for the four engines and punched the first. The entire ship rattled and shook from the sudden decrease in speed. Two more engines went out without a problem, but the fourth wouldn't respond. Frantically Katja looked over the control panel to find the specific controls.

She looked at her watch. 23 minutes to go. I've got to hurry! She thought as her hands scanned the panel followed by her eyes.

"There," she said as she found the control for the forth engine.

It was a large knob that turned in either direction. Katja turned it a quarter of the way around to the left. The engine's power seemed to increase but in a different direction. /p

With a sudden jerk, the Peace Million's engines had fired, and both ships were headed out into space.

The sudden rapid movement of the ship caused Katja to fall to her knees by the control pane.

17 minutes. "Get up, Katja. GET UP!" she shouted to herself. At the second command she pulled herself erect and tried to jog out of the room to her Gundam.

Katja reached her Gundam in ten minutes and evacuated the ship. Just as she reached a safe distance the Libra and Peace Million exploded, killing anyone left on board.

None of the mobile dolls were moving, not one was fighting. The only ruckus came from the five Gundam pilots and some of the mobile suite pilots from Earth, who were destroying a section of the Libra that could still annihilate the entire population of the Earth.

As the chunk of the Libra began to enter the atmosphere, Heero flew down in front of it. And with his beam rifle took aim and fired.

The shockwave caused by the explosion caused Katja's Gundam to start flipping end over end. The backside of her Gundam was severely damaged by the explosion causing her space thrusters to malfunction.

"I can't get control of it! Someone help me, I can't stop!" shouted Katja as she strained with the controls.

Then just as she drew another breath to call out for help, she collided with something and stopped spinning.

"Are you alright?" cried Duo as his picture came up on her screen.

"Yeah, I'm fine," replied Katja faintly.

"Well I guess they meant it when they said they'd redeem themselves," said Duo as he thought back at the explosion of the Libra and Peace Million.

Katja slowly backed her Gundam away from Duo's with her front thrusters and prepared to fire her main boosters.

"Hey where ya goin'?" asked Duo as he watched her pull away.

"Duo, I'll meet you at home," she said, then cut the transmission.

Katja's Gundam fired its main boosters and sped off toward the Earth.

"Wait. What are you talking about?" yelled Duo as she fled away.

_What is she talking about, home? The only home we ever shared was the Peace Million. Where is she going_ thought Duo as he began to rack his brain for an answer.

"Hey Duo, where is Katja going?" called Quatre from afar.

"I don't know, I'm trying to figure that out," replied Duo.

"Well, isn't she from Earth? Maybe she's going to her birthplace now that the war is over," replied Quatre, trying to aid Duo in his mental search.

_Birthplace, birthplace…_

"Quatre you're a saint!" shouted Duo as it came to him. And he shot off for Earth, leaving the other pilots behind.


	17. Homecoming

**HOMECOMING**

Knock, knock, knock.

_She has to be here. I don't know where else to look_ thought a battle-worn Duo as he stood in front of the quite ornate main entrance to the palace Borealis in Aurora.

The door slowly opened, and a man about forty-years-old, stood before him in a butler's uniform.

"May I help you, sir?" asked the man unemotionally.

Duo paused a second, not knowing how to reply, then like a slap in the face, he responded.

"Yes I'd like to see Miss Katja please."

The butler's eyes widened with horror, then a sneer of disgust shrouded his face.

"For your information, _sir_ , Miss Katja is deceased."

Duo shook his head and chuckled a little, then looked the butler straight in the eye. "That's where you're mistaken, Katja is alive and she is here. She told me that we would meet here. Go check her room, I'd bet my life that she's there," said Duo confidently.

"Who's there, Hans?" a low, yet soft voice called from the inside of the building.

The butler turned at the sound of his name to face a man. He was late in his years, but stood as tall as a steeple but slumped just enough that Duo could tell he was worn and old.

"Herr Kizer!" exclaimed Hans. "This boy thinks that Miss Katja is in her room. I'm trying to explain to him that she has not been in this world for quite some time," replied Hans quickly.

The old man walked to the door and opened it a little more so that he could see Duo better. Herr Kizer stood a good foot taller then Duo's five-foot frame and was obviously stronger, but that didn't deter Duo from his mission.

"Listen boy," snapped Herr Kizer in a thick German accent. "My granddaughter died when she was seven-years-old. And if you don't have anything better then to resurrect harsh memories on an old man, then I bid you good day. I will have none of it," boomed his voice with the authority of a man used to giving orders.

Duo's face tightened with anger at Herr Kizer's misunderstanding then gave some information of his own. "You're wrong, sir, Katja is alive, but I'm afraid she's not well. She has fought with me in the war and was injured pretty badly just as the final battle ended. Before she flew away from me, Katja told me to meet her here, and here I am. I'm sure that she's in her room," stated Duo trying to keep hold of his anger.

Herr Kizer tried to interject but was cut off when Duo stepped forward, challenging him with his small frame and obviously losing his cool.

"If you'd just look instead of killing her by standing here like a dumb ox that can't see off the end of its nose you'll see that I'm telling the truth!" snapped Duo.

Herr Kizer's eyes widened with horror at Duo's disrespect, and just as he was going to give his retort, a scream came from behind him.

"HERR KIZER, HERR KIZER! COME QUICK!!" yelled a female voice.

He turned in the direction of the screaming, and before anyone could move Duo plowed through the two men and ran in that direction. He followed the shouts to a door set ajar. A woman, also in her forties, was kneeling on the ground next to a seemingly lifeless figure dressed all in black, lying in a pool of blood.

"KATJA!" Duo absently shouted as he raced over to her side and rolled Katja over into his arms, immediately feeling her neck for a pulse.

_Good, she's still alive_ thought Duo with a sigh of relief. He then looked at his surroundings to figure out how she appeared there.

At her feet was a bay window with a cushioned bench. One of the windows was wide open and missing a screen. The cushion had a blue colored afghan on top of it that was in a wrinkled mess that trailed down to Katja's feet where a corner of it was tangled around her left foot. A foot away from this was a desk and a chair that looked like it had been reached for but knocked over. There was blood on the corner of the desk, which he figured coincided with the cut on Katja's forehead.

_She must have broken in and fallen not remembering where everything was_ thought Duo.

Herr Kizer and Hans burst through the doors winded to find Duo cradling Katja in his arms, and the frightened woman trying to explain how she had come upon her.

"Danke Gott! Herr Kizer, I don't know where she came from! She wasn't there last night when I checked the room. I was just coming in to do some cleaning and there she was lying on the floor in a pool of blood! And who is that boy who burst in here?" she cried.

Herr Kizer and Hans didn't give any indication of hearing her. They just stood there staring at Duo in amazement while the woman continued to ask questions, trying to break through to them.

"Halte die Klapper, Ingrid! " shouted Hans angrily.

Ingrid scowled at Hans for being rude and stopped with her questions.

Herr Kizer didn't seem to notice the shouting, but walked over to Duo and knelt down beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. /p

"I'm sorry I didn't believe you," he said in a soft tone, then turned to look behind him at the two servants. "Hans, go call Dr. Whitiee, and hurry!"

Hans went running from the room to a phone.

"Help me get her in the bed," Duo ordered Herr Kizer as he strained to lift the dead weight of Katja's upper body. Herr Kizer complied to help without a word and helped take Katja to the nearby bed and lie her on her stomach.

Katja made no complaint to being moved, just a few quiet moans when they first lifted her.

When she was on the bed, Duo gently lifter her arms one at a time and removed her blood soaked black jacket, and tossed it to the floor. Herr Kizer moved forward quickly objecting to this boy undressing his granddaughter, but stopped in his tracks as he watched in horror at what Duo was uncovering.

Her once white shirt was now a deep blood red, and shred to ribbons. Duo could see the angry torn flesh beneath the scraps of cloth. While Ingrid and Herr Kizer turned their heads way from the result of her torture, Duo pulled his knife from his boot and began to remove the remainder of the shredded cloth.

By the time Dr Whitiee arrived, Duo had removed Katja's shredded white shirt. And left her lying in her bed wearing her pants and bra.

Dr. Whitiee assessed the situation and immediately began to prepare to stitch up the jagged cuts on Katja's back.

"Hans, I need hot water and clean bandages. Herr Kizer, you might want to take Ingrid out," said the doctor as he rolled up his sleeves and began to thread his specially made suture hook.

Duo got one look at the hook and a pit of dread dropped in his stomach. Not wishing to see this man sew her up, Duo followed behind Herr Kizer and Ingrid, but was stopped when the doctor grabbed his arm.

"You'll stay here and help me," he ordered, the expression on his face not allowing any dispute.

He didn't argue, but swallowed hard as he rolled his sleeves further up his arms and washed his hands in a basin of hot water.

The door to the room closed and they were alone.

"I need you to hold this light up for me, and keep an eye on her. Just in case she wakes up," ordered Dr. Whitiee in a slight Indian accent as he handed Duo a flashlight with his delicate tan hands.

Duo took the flashlight and knelt down next to the bed. Once the light was in proper position, he watched nothing but Katja's face for any sign of life.

It took two hours of silence and stressful stitching before Dr. Whitiee was finished. The two men carefully rolled Katja over to her back and sat her up so they could wrap the bandages around her.

The doctor stitched up the small cut in her forehead and wrapped that before they gently replaced her on her stomach in the bed to rest.

"It was very smart of you to remove Katja's shirt before I got here. It helped a lot," said the doctor while he and Duo washed the blood from their hands. Duo didn't reply, but daftly washed and dried his hands, then walked back to his place at Katja's side, this time holding her hand instead of a flashlight. Dr. Whitiee watched his movements, shrugged his shoulders and walked out to brief Herr Kizer.

The door closed behind the doctor and they were alone. Duo let his worried eyes gaze at Katja as she slept.

"Katja? I know you can hear me," said Duo in a near whisper. "I don't care what you do after this but you've got to get better," tears began to well up in his eyes. He didn't fight them now, just let them come. "Please don't die, you're my only reason to live," Duo bowed his head as he began to sob, his tears flowing freely over his cheeks. Not since he was a child did he cry like this, it was from the heart.

The windows were dark when the door to Katja's room opened slightly and Herr Kizer peered in through the crack. Duo was at Katja's side, keeping a vigil. He had regained his composure and now calmly watched the rising and falling of her chest as she slept. Herr Kizer stepped back from the door and closed it quietly behind him.

"So you're saying that she has a slim chance of surviving the night," said Herr Kizer solemnly as he pinched the bridge of his nose to prevent the onslaught of tears. "Is there nothing we can do?" he asked.

"No your highness. I've given her an injection of her medication. And a transfusion would be pointless, she still has enough blood to heal herself and survive. That, of course, is a slim chance considering that she was near shock when we found her." The doctor paused. "All we can do now is wait."

Herr Kizer bowed his head and looked back over his shoulder at the closed door, then back at the doctor. His face filled with pain and worry. He had just found his granddaughter and now she was going to be ripped from his arms. It was too much for him to bear and he walked past the doctor and down the hall.

Dr. Whitiee watched Herr Kizer until he turned into a side room and then the he reentered Katja's room.

He quietly closed the door, and walked directly over to Duo and sat down at the foot of the bed.

Duo didn't move, just kept his eyes on Katja.

"We haven't been formally introduced," said the doctor as he held out his hand. "Dr. Michael Whitiee."

Duo turned his gaze from Katja and looked at his out-stretched hand, then up to the doctor's face. He reached out his own hand and shook the doctor's.

"Duo Maxwell," he said shortly, then went back to watching Katja.

"I saw that bruise on your arm, Duo," said Dr. Whitiee. "So when did you donate blood?" he asked.

"I gave Katja my blood when we were in space. A direct transfusion," replied Duo absently.

Dr. Whitiee smiled and looked at Duo like a starving man does to a delicious steak.

"Are you up for another one?"

Translation: Thank God! Shut up, Ingrid


	18. Awaken to the Future

**AWAKEN TO THE FUTURE**

"Comfortable?" asked Dr. Whitiee.

"Getting there," said Duo as he laid down to the right of Katja. "Okay let's get this started."

"Alright, just relax," replied the doctor as he inserted a needle into Duo's left arm, just above the bruise from the last transfusion. Then he reached over and did the same to Katja's right arm. He then he sat down in a chair next to Duo and watched.

After fifteen minutes, Dr. Whitiee stopped the flow of blood and removed the needles.

"Done already?" asked Duo as the doctor removed the needle from his arm.

"Yes, that should be plenty. Just wait a second and I'll walk you to your room so you can rest," replied the doctor as he cleaned up.

Duo sat up and got up off of the bed. He took about ten steps when he began to feel dizzy.

_What the heck is happening to me? Why am I so dizzy_ thought Duo as he stopped near the doorway.

He tried to take another step but collapsed onto the floor.

Dr. Whitiee had his back turned when he heard Duo fall. He whipped around and immediately yelled for assistance. The doctor quickly knelt down at Duo's side and tried to figure out what could have happened. He looked at Duo's face, chalky and pale from giving blood, and he realized that Duo had given too much and had fainted because of it.

"What is wrong?" hollered Hans as he burst into the room in his nightclothes.

"Help me get him to a bed," ordered Dr. Whitiee sternly as he grabbed his bag of instruments. Hans, a big man himself, knelt down next to Duo and picked him up as if he were a toddler, and took him to a nearby room.

_Urghmm. What's... ahh! My back, it's so sore _thought Katja as she began to wake up.

She slowly opened her eyes and scanned the room as they became used to the dim morning light that snuck through the drapes. Everything was familiar. Her room was as she had left it when she was seven. But something near her waist caught her eye.

It was a furry grayish-white animal that seemed to be lying on her left hand. Katja stirred a little more and the animal moved suddenly. It wasn't an animal, but a man. His face was shrouded in shadows. He was making some sort of noise but she couldn't make it out, but he seemed quite excited.

Realizing that he wasn't recognizable to her, the man reached to the nightstand, and turned on a lamp. The light illuminated his face, and she immediately recognized him.

"Opa? " asked Katja in a weak, grainy voice.

"Katja! You've come back to us!" exclaimed Herr Kizer. He cupped his right hand around Katja's pale cheek as if to verify that she was indeed awake. Tears started to flow from his eyes and he began to cry and laugh at the same time.

"Don't cry, Opa. I'm okay," said Katja as she weakly smiled at her grandfather.

Dr. Whitiee walked in, and seeing that Herr Kizer was crying, he thought the worst. He rushed over to the right side of the bed and reached for Katja's arm. Before he could find her pulse, Katja turned her head to face him. Her pale skin shone with gray tints and her eyes were sunk back into the shadows of her eye sockets. She looked like death itself. He stopped in his search for the pulse.

"I'm alive, Herr Doctor," said Katja hoarsely as she smiled weakly at him.

The doctor didn't move for a second and then snapped out of his trance and smiled back.

"Good," he said quickly removing his hand from her wrist. "I'll go tell Hans and Ingrid." And with that he left the room.

Katja looked back to her grandfather curiously.

"What happened to Duo?" she asked, sounding like a little child.

Herr Kizer's beaming face became shrouded with despair as he replied. "Last night, Dr. Whitiee and Duo performed a transfusion, and when it was done Duo collapsed because he gave too much. Now he is in a guest room resting. He's very weak and hasn't woken up yet. Dr. Whitiee doesn't know what to do, except to let him rest. I'm sorry, Katja." Herr Kizer bowed his head trying to hide his sad face from her. He had never known Duo before yesterday, but he felt like it was his own son lying in the other room, close to death.

"I need to go see Duo," said Katja as she began to sit up but was stopped suddenly when a shock of pain ripped through her body. And she dropped back down to lean on her left elbow.

"You mustn't move, Katja. You're still very ill," ordered Herr Kizer as he tried to push her back on to the bed.

Katja, although weak, glared at Herr Kizer and responded with as much determination as she could muster. "Opa, please bring that wheelchair over here so I can go and be at Duo's side. He needs me."

Herr Kizer studied her face and then finding no way to convince her otherwise, he got up and retrieved the wheelchair.

He had no more then rolled it alongside the bed when Katja stood up slowly, turned and sat down in the chair.

Even though she was wearing her bra and pants and was bandaged around her torso, Herr Kizer grabbed the blue afghan and wrapped it around her shoulders, then proceeded to wheel her to where Duo was resting.

The door creaked open from lack of use and the room was dark. The drapes had been drawn to block out the sunlight and the only light came from a nightlight near the head of the bed.

Katja smiled as the set up of the room reminded her of the first time he had given her his blood.

Herr Kizer wheeled Katja over to his bed where Duo rested peacefully. He placed a hand on Katja's shoulder she looked up to find him smiling at her. She smiled back and he then turned and walked out of the room.

Once he had left the room Katja reached for Duo's hand and held it tight. In the dim light it was hard to make out his features, but she was able to see that he had been stripped of his shirt and his bear chest was as pale as his face. His hand was stained with blood and the bruise in the crook of his elbow was large and was a deep blue against his near-white skin. His face was still a little dirty from the battle, but streaks of lighter skin wired their way down his face from his eyes. He had been crying.

Katja pulled her attention from his face to his left hand. She began to move his fingers, which were callused and scarred not trying to wake him up, just to see his graceful hands move. But the movement had awakened him and he drowsily opened his eyes and watched her play with his hand.

"Sorry, but you can't cut it off and keep it," he said weakly in jest.

Katja stopped what she was doing and returned her gaze to his face.

Duo, although weak, was smiling at her.

"Why did you...?"

"Because I wanted to," interrupted Duo," and because I wouldn't accept that there was nothing we could do for you."

A tear trailed its way from her eye as she looked into his face. She knew it was the truth, he never lied. Duo raised his hand to her face and wiped the tear from her cheek. Katja leaned into his hand. His touch was so gentle, like a feather, yet strong as steel.

Duo sat up and leaned over to Katja in her wheelchair and kissed her gently on the lips. He then stopped and held her head in both of his hands, their foreheads touching.

"Together forever, remember?" he asked, recalling a memory from their childhood.

It was after he had found Katja in his Gundam, crying, and after she told him what was wrong that they promised each other that they would be together forever.

Katja smiled at the memory and kissed him on the lips quickly and replied, "Together forever."

Translations: Grandpa


End file.
